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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 university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bore — to tire
  8. degree — temperature
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bore — to drill
  12. shower — to wash
  13. rash — a series
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. degree — an amount
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. shower — rain
  23. fine — all right
  24. safe — out of danger

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