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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.

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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: bowl · fork · net · suit · pass · racket · file · degree

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. net — for catching
  3. file — a document
  4. degree — temperature
  5. suit — to fit
  6. fork — in a road
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pass — a permit
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. net — in sport
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. file — a tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. degree — an amount
  21. net — after costs
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — clothes

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