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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. degree — temperature
  5. lean — to bend
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — to bear
  8. lean — thin
  9. mark — a trace
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mark — a grade
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. degree — from a university
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mate — to breed
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — a friend
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. deal — to handle
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. lean — to rest against

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