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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 116 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. clip — a video
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — temperature
  5. clip — to cut
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mark — a trace
  8. tube — the underground
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. scale — in music
  11. clip — for paper
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. scale — size or range
  16. fall — the season
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. fall — to drop
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. chair — a leader
  22. mark — a grade
  23. fall — to drop
  24. tube — in a tire

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