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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. degree — temperature
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. suit — to fit
  7. date — the fruit
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. press — newspapers
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. press — to push
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. suit — in cards
  20. press — a publisher
  21. degree — from a university
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. toast — bread
  24. degree — an amount

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