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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.

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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: bowl · snap · cabinet · board · degree · cell · foot · bass

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bass — low music
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. cell — a phone
  6. board — to get on
  7. foot — a measure
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. snap — to click
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. degree — an amount
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. degree — from a university
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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