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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: degree · bulb · stock · staff · cell · toast · nail · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. staff — a stick
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. toast — bread
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. degree — temperature
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bulb — for light
  16. staff — employees
  17. stock — goods
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cell — in biology
  20. degree — from a university
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. staff — employees
  23. stock — shares
  24. cell — a phone

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