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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: present · fall · kid · degree · cabinet · race · suit · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. kid — child
  3. present — the time now
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. present — a gift
  6. firm — a company
  7. race — a contest
  8. fall — the season
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. degree — an amount
  11. fall — to drop
  12. suit — clothes
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fall — to drop
  15. race — humankind
  16. firm — steady
  17. degree — temperature
  18. race — the arms race
  19. suit — to fit
  20. present — there
  21. kid — to tease
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. degree — from a university
  24. suit — in cards

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