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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. object — an aim
  3. degree — an amount
  4. cold — not warm
  5. degree — temperature
  6. suit — clothes
  7. degree — from a university
  8. bass — low music
  9. chest — a box
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. object — to protest
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. object — a thing
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bass — the fish
  20. chest — of your body
  21. suit — in cards
  22. cold — an illness
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bass — the instrument

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