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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. stem — to come from
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — an amount
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rule — government
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. kid — child
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. degree — from a university
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. board — a committee
  17. rush — hurry
  18. board — to get on
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rule — a law
  23. capital — a city
  24. kid — to tease

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