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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: degree · can · racket · patient · mug · sharp · net · fan

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. can — a tin
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mug — a cup
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. can — to be able to
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — clever
  12. net — after costs
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. net — for catching
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. net — in sport
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — temperature
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. can — a tin
  24. degree — from a university

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