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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. kick — in football
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. suit — in cards
  5. staff — employees
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. staff — employees
  8. fine — all right
  9. suit — to fit
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. degree — from a university
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. degree — an amount
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. kid — child
  22. fine — high quality
  23. staff — a stick
  24. degree — temperature

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