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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 120 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: row · saw · deal · charge · squash · degree · cabinet · fall

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. fall — the season
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. saw — the tool
  5. charge — a price
  6. row — a line
  7. saw — the tool
  8. squash — to crush
  9. degree — an amount
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. fall — to drop
  13. deal — to handle
  14. row — to paddle
  15. degree — temperature
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. charge — electricity
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. charge — in control
  23. fall — to drop
  24. squash — the sport

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