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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: staff · cabinet · stick · bulb · lean · degree · present · pit

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pit — a hole
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lean — thin
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. present — there
  11. staff — employees
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. staff — employees
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bulb — for light
  20. present — the time now
  21. degree — from a university
  22. present — a gift
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pit — in a race

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