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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. club — for dancing
  3. rash — hasty
  4. pass — a permit
  5. degree — an amount
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — in cards
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. kick — in football
  13. club — for golf
  14. spell — magic
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. rash — a series
  17. degree — from a university
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. club — a group
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. spell — letters
  23. degree — temperature
  24. spell — a short time

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