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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. object — an aim
  4. fine — high quality
  5. cap — a lid
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cap — a hat
  9. degree — from a university
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. degree — temperature
  12. fine — all right
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. degree — an amount
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. cue — for pool
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. object — a thing
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cap — of ice
  24. safe — out of danger

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