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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 all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. degree — temperature
  3. fine — all right
  4. swing — in golf
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. degree — from a university
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bass — low music
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bear — the animal
  13. degree — an amount
  14. fine — high quality
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. swing — music
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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