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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 116 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. degree — from a university
  6. suit — clothes
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. suit — to fit
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. season — in sport
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. season — of the year
  14. degree — an amount
  15. row — to paddle
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. degree — temperature
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. suit — in cards
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. mark — a grade

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