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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. degree — temperature
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. degree — from a university
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. can — a tin
  13. foot — a measure
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bat — the animal
  16. can — a tin
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. degree — an amount

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