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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 valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. land — to come down
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. firm — a company
  7. pit — in a race
  8. firm — steady
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. pit — a hole
  11. degree — temperature
  12. object — an aim
  13. land — ground
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — an amount
  17. firm — decided
  18. object — to protest
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. land — a country

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