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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pop — music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. band — a ring
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — temperature
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pop — soda
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bore — to drill
  20. staff — employees
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bear — the animal
  24. band — a music group

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