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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. roll — a cake
  4. degree — an amount
  5. roll — a list
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mug — a cup
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mug — to rob
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. degree — from a university
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mug — a face
  17. chair — a leader
  18. last — to go on
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. last — final
  22. degree — temperature
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. last — finally

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