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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. firm — steady
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. firm — decided
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. degree — temperature
  16. pass — a permit
  17. degree — an amount
  18. fork — in a road
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. game — wild animals
  22. rush — hurry
  23. degree — from a university
  24. wave — of the sea

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