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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. degree — from a university
  3. board — to get on
  4. degree — temperature
  5. hand — help
  6. scale — in music
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. board — a committee
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. suit — in cards
  12. saw — the tool
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. hand — in cards
  16. file — a tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. degree — an amount
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — clothes
  24. saw — the tool

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