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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. spring — of water
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — child
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. degree — from a university
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. board — a committee
  15. suit — clothes
  16. degree — temperature
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. dip — to sink
  19. degree — an amount
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. suit — to fit
  22. spring — a coil
  23. suit — in cards
  24. board — to get on

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