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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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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: fan · dip · pitch · mug · file · degree · cabinet · mate

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. degree — from a university
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mug — a face
  5. file — a document
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. degree — temperature
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. file — a line of people
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mug — to rob
  16. degree — an amount
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. file — a tool
  19. mate — a friend
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mug — a cup
  24. dip — to sink

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