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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. degree — temperature
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — an amount
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stand — to bear
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. game — a match
  17. kid — child
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pass — a permit
  23. kid — to tease
  24. game — a kind of play

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