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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 124 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: race · degree · staff · content · object · rock · net · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. net — after costs
  3. staff — a stick
  4. rock — a stone
  5. object — a thing
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. degree — from a university
  8. net — for catching
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. object — an aim
  11. net — in sport
  12. race — the arms race
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. content — happy
  15. object — to protest
  16. race — a contest
  17. rock — music
  18. content — the amount
  19. degree — temperature
  20. degree — an amount
  21. fine — all right
  22. staff — employees
  23. race — humankind
  24. staff — employees

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