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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 120 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: rock · squash · shower · net · object · degree · mug · fork

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. net — for catching
  3. squash — to crush
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. rock — a stone
  7. object — a thing
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. mug — to rob
  12. object — an aim
  13. degree — temperature
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. degree — an amount
  17. squash — the sport
  18. net — in sport
  19. object — to protest
  20. shower — to wash
  21. fork — in a road
  22. shower — rain
  23. net — after costs
  24. fork — a garden tool

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