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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stick · ball · arm · game · file · net · toast · degree

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. degree — from a university
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. net — for catching
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. toast — bread
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. degree — an amount
  11. game — wild animals
  12. degree — temperature
  13. ball — a dance
  14. net — after costs
  15. game — a match
  16. file — a line of people
  17. net — in sport
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. file — a document
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. ball — a great time
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. file — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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