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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. suit — in cards
  3. can — a tin
  4. degree — an amount
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. suit — clothes
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. land — a country
  13. land — to come down
  14. degree — from a university
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. can — a tin
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to sink
  19. land — ground
  20. can — to be able to
  21. degree — temperature
  22. suit — to fit
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. straw — a straw man

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