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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · march · net · wind · plane · mug · degree · pit

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. march — the month
  3. degree — from a university
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. object — an aim
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pit — in a race
  8. degree — an amount
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. mug — a cup
  12. wind — moving air
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pit — a hole
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. mug — a face
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wind — moving air
  19. net — in sport
  20. object — to protest
  21. degree — temperature
  22. march — music
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com