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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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Word bank
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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: cabinet · suit · mouse · bowl · degree · cell

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. degree — an amount
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. cell — a phone
  6. suit — clothes
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cell — in biology
  12. degree — from a university
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bowl — a dish

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