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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. suit — clothes
  3. degree — temperature
  4. craft — boats
  5. degree — from a university
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pop — to visit
  8. suit — to fit
  9. cell — in biology
  10. stem — to come from
  11. degree — an amount
  12. pop — music
  13. march — the month
  14. cell — a phone
  15. pop — soda
  16. suit — in cards
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. march — the month
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. craft — a skill
  23. march — music
  24. cabinet — ministers

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