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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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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 · deal · mate · fork · racket · tube · cabinet · mouse

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. tube — a container
  9. degree — temperature
  10. mate — a friend
  11. degree — from a university
  12. mate — a partner
  13. tube — the underground
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. degree — an amount
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mate — to breed
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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