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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 116 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — to fit
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. staff — employees
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. staff — employees
  13. dip — to sink
  14. degree — temperature
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. degree — from a university
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — to bear
  20. staff — a stick
  21. scale — size or range
  22. suit — clothes
  23. degree — an amount
  24. scale — in music

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