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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. scale — in music
  3. suit — clothes
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. staff — employees
  6. scale — size or range
  7. degree — an amount
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. roll — a cake
  10. suit — in cards
  11. file — a line of people
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. file — a tool
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. degree — temperature
  17. chest — of your body
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. degree — from a university
  21. roll — a list
  22. chest — of your body
  23. suit — to fit
  24. file — a document

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