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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 my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. tube — the underground
  4. degree — an amount
  5. rest — a break
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. tube — a container
  18. rest — what's left
  19. toast — bread
  20. foot — a measure
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cue — a signal
  24. degree — from a university

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