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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 120 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 smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. field — for sport
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — happy
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. degree — an amount
  19. field — farmland
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bass — the fish
  23. field — a subject
  24. bass — low music

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