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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. object — a thing
  3. sharp — clever
  4. object — an aim
  5. degree — from a university
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. degree — temperature
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. degree — an amount
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. object — to protest
  19. stand — to bear
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pit — a hole

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