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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — temperature
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. mug — to rob
  10. root — the cause
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. degree — an amount
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bound — certain
  17. root — of a word
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. root — of a plant
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. chip — to eat
  23. mug — a face
  24. chip — for betting

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