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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: degree · cabinet · rash · present · ground · toast · suit · nail

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. rash — hasty
  3. degree — temperature
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. toast — bread
  6. present — there
  7. present — a gift
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — a position
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rash — a series
  13. suit — in cards
  14. degree — from a university
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. degree — an amount
  18. present — the time now
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. suit — to fit

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