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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stand — to bear
  3. can — a tin
  4. degree — an amount
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. tube — the underground
  7. current — happening now
  8. can — a tin
  9. kick — in football
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bass — low music
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. can — to be able to
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bass — the fish
  17. current — electric
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. current — of water
  20. degree — from a university
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. tube — a container

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