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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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. mate — a partner
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bulb — for light
  13. can — a tin
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — temperature
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mate — to breed
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. can — a tin
  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