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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. degree — from a university
  6. club — a group
  7. bat — the animal
  8. file — a tool
  9. degree — temperature
  10. stand — to bear
  11. net — after costs
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. club — for golf
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. file — a line of people
  18. degree — an amount
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. file — a document
  21. net — for catching
  22. club — for dancing
  23. net — in sport
  24. bat — for baseball

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