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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — a group
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. degree — an amount
  7. present — the time now
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. club — for dancing
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. present — there
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. kick — in football
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. present — a gift
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. degree — temperature

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