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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 · roll · face · racket · cabinet · wake · pit · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. wake — a trail
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pit — a hole
  8. degree — from a university
  9. face — to point toward
  10. roll — a cake
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. degree — temperature
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pit — in a race
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. face — part of the head
  19. roll — a list
  20. degree — an amount
  21. face — to confront
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. racket — for tennis

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