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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.

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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. club — for dancing
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. club — for golf
  8. fine — high quality
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ground — the earth
  11. degree — temperature
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. drill — army training
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — from a university
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — crushed
  18. club — a group
  19. fine — all right
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a face
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mug — a cup
  24. drill — a practice

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