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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: last · pop · cabinet · fine · degree · cell · racket · dip

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. last — final
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. degree — temperature
  13. dip — to sink
  14. last — finally
  15. degree — an amount
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. degree — from a university
  19. last — to go on
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — music
  22. fine — all right
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. pop — soda

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