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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. present — there
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. degree — from a university
  6. cue — for pool
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. stand — to bear
  9. present — the time now
  10. shower — rain
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. shower — to wash
  13. degree — an amount
  14. cue — a signal
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. fall — the season
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cue — a hint
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. present — a gift
  23. racket — for tennis
  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