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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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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: suit · chip · degree · shower · net · pitch · cabinet · calf

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — clothes
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. net — after costs
  5. chip — to eat
  6. degree — from a university
  7. net — in sport
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. degree — an amount
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pitch — completely
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. net — for catching
  18. degree — temperature
  19. suit — in cards
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — to wash
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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