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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: wave · mug · stick · trunk · cabinet · degree · fine · capital

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. capital — money
  6. mug — a cup
  7. degree — from a university
  8. capital — a city
  9. degree — temperature
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. degree — an amount
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. mug — to rob
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. mug — a face
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. capital — a big letter

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