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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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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: pit · fall · degree · stock · swing · cabinet · bore · board

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pit — a hole
  4. stock — shares
  5. degree — from a university
  6. swing — in golf
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pit — in a race
  11. board — a committee
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. swing — to play on
  15. stock — goods
  16. fall — the season
  17. degree — an amount
  18. bore — to drill
  19. board — to get on
  20. bore — to tire
  21. swing — music
  22. degree — temperature
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. board — a flat piece

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