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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: cell · degree · jam · firm · stick · key · fine · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. firm — a company
  3. fine — all right
  4. cell — a phone
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. degree — temperature
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cell — in biology
  10. net — for catching
  11. degree — from a university
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. firm — decided
  14. fine — high quality
  15. key — the most important part
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. degree — an amount
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. net — after costs
  22. firm — steady
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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