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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: mine · suit · cell · cue · cabinet · fork · degree · row

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. suit — to fit
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. row — to paddle
  7. cue — a signal
  8. row — a line
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mine — for digging
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. degree — an amount
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. fork — in a road
  17. cell — in biology
  18. degree — from a university
  19. cell — a phone
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. cue — a hint
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — clothes

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