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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: mine · net · pass · key · suit · degree · swing · bark

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. suit — to fit
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — from a university
  5. key — for a lock
  6. net — for catching
  7. suit — clothes
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. swing — music
  11. net — after costs
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pass — a permit
  16. key — the most important part
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bark — to shout
  19. swing — to play on
  20. key — in music
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. degree — temperature
  23. suit — in cards
  24. net — in sport

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