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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: degree · deal · wave · present · cabinet · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. present — a gift
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. deal — to handle
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. present — there
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. degree — from a university
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — temperature
  15. present — the time now
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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