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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. toast — bread
  6. date — the fruit
  7. chip — for betting
  8. degree — temperature
  9. club — for golf
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. cell — in biology
  15. chip — to eat
  16. club — a group
  17. degree — from a university
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. club — for dancing
  22. degree — an amount
  23. cell — a phone
  24. kick — in football

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