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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. fall — to drop
  4. club — for golf
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. sharp — clever
  8. degree — temperature
  9. fall — to drop
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. stand — to bear
  12. degree — from a university
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. club — a group
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bass — low music
  22. club — for dancing
  23. fall — the season
  24. degree — an amount

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