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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. track — to keep track
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bulb — for light
  6. degree — temperature
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bear — the animal
  10. track — a path
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stand — to bear
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pit — a hole
  18. degree — from a university
  19. track — a song
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bear — to put up with

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