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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. degree — temperature
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. rest — what's left
  7. plane — a tool
  8. rest — a break
  9. key — for a lock
  10. stock — shares
  11. land — a country
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. key — in music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. land — to come down
  16. stock — goods
  17. degree — from a university
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. land — ground
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. degree — an amount
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. key — the most important part

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