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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: file · present · fan · cap · cell · net · court · degree

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — of ice
  4. net — in sport
  5. court — for sport
  6. present — a gift
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — from a university
  9. court — of law
  10. cap — a hat
  11. net — for catching
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. degree — temperature
  14. file — a document
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cell — a phone
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. court — of a king
  19. net — after costs
  20. file — a line of people
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. present — there
  23. file — a tool
  24. present — the time now

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