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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: degree · jam · bat · mate · lean · net · firm · rest

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. net — in sport
  6. lean — to bend
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. degree — temperature
  10. net — after costs
  11. rest — a break
  12. net — for catching
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. firm — decided
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. degree — from a university
  18. mate — a friend
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. firm — steady
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. lean — thin
  23. bat — the animal
  24. firm — a company

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