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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 116 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. degree — from a university
  3. rock — a stone
  4. dip — to sink
  5. capital — a city
  6. cue — for pool
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. capital — money
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. degree — an amount
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. field — for sport
  24. degree — temperature

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