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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: degree · wave · rash · cabinet · suit · racket · stock · chest

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rash — hasty
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. suit — clothes
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — from a university
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — shares
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stock — goods
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. chest — a box
  17. rash — a series
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. suit — in cards
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. degree — an amount
  23. suit — to fit
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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