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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. degree — temperature
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. degree — from a university
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stock — goods
  12. cell — in biology
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. suit — to fit
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — to drill
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. suit — in cards
  21. march — the month
  22. suit — clothes
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. stock — shares

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