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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. degree — temperature
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. band — a ring
  6. suit — to fit
  7. shower — to wash
  8. degree — an amount
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. lean — to bend
  11. band — a music group
  12. shower — rain
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. degree — from a university
  18. tube — a container
  19. lean — thin
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — shares
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. suit — in cards
  24. stock — a soup base

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