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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. degree — temperature
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chip — for betting
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. court — of a king
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. court — of law
  12. degree — from a university
  13. chest — a box
  14. chip — to eat
  15. degree — an amount
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. chest — of your body
  18. court — for 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