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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. present — there
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. roll — a cake
  8. stock — goods
  9. degree — from a university
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — clothes
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stock — shares
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. present — a gift
  18. dip — to sink
  19. roll — a list
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. present — the time now
  22. degree — temperature
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. degree — an amount

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