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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. press — newspapers
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. kick — in football
  8. cue — a signal
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — to tease
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bark — to shout
  13. press — to push
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — to bear
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cue — a hint
  19. degree — an amount
  20. press — a publisher
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cue — for pool
  24. kick — a thrill

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