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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. degree — temperature
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — an amount
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. clip — to cut
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. row — a line
  17. row — to paddle
  18. clip — a video
  19. fine — all right
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. can — to be able to
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. clip — for paper

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