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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. suit — clothes
  3. present — there
  4. fall — to drop
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. present — a gift
  7. suit — in cards
  8. degree — from a university
  9. fall — to drop
  10. suit — to fit
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. fall — the season
  14. degree — temperature
  15. season — in sport
  16. present — the time now
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. season — of the year
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pit — in a race
  24. degree — an amount

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