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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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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. mark — a trace
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mark — a grade
  7. degree — temperature
  8. fine — all right
  9. degree — an amount
  10. deal — to handle
  11. present — there
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. suit — in cards
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. shower — rain
  17. degree — from a university
  18. suit — clothes
  19. shower — to wash
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. suit — to fit
  22. fine — high quality
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. present — a gift

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