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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — from a university
  4. club — for golf
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. track — a path
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. track — a song
  10. tube — the underground
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. tube — a container
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — a practice
  15. degree — temperature
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. track — to keep track
  20. club — for dancing
  21. drill — the tool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. club — a group
  24. stand — to bear

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