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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. toast — bread
  5. can — a tin
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. charge — a price
  9. stand — to bear
  10. firm — steady
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. kid — to tease
  13. charge — in control
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. can — to be able to
  16. kid — child
  17. firm — a company
  18. date — the fruit
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — from a university
  21. can — a tin
  22. degree — temperature
  23. charge — electricity
  24. firm — decided

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