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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. object — an aim
  3. squash — to crush
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — an amount
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. squash — the sport
  13. degree — from a university
  14. season — of the year
  15. object — to protest
  16. mate — to breed
  17. season — in sport
  18. object — a thing
  19. march — music
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — a friend
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cabinet — ministers

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