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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 120 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. shower — to wash
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. degree — an amount
  5. suit — in cards
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bound — obliged
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. degree — from a university
  19. firm — decided
  20. degree — temperature
  21. suit — to fit
  22. shower — rain
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — steady

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