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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. present — there
  3. last — to go on
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pop — soda
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stand — to bear
  13. present — the time now
  14. bound — tied together
  15. present — a gift
  16. pop — to visit
  17. last — finally
  18. degree — from a university
  19. chip — to eat
  20. last — final
  21. pop — music
  22. bear — the animal
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bound — certain

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