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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  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. bat — the animal
  2. degree — an amount
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. roll — a cake
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. roll — a list
  12. fine — all right
  13. can — a tin
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. suit — in cards
  18. date — the fruit
  19. fine — high quality
  20. suit — clothes
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. degree — temperature
  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