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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. degree — temperature
  5. cell — in biology
  6. board — to get on
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. degree — from a university
  11. firm — a company
  12. object — a thing
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pass — a permit
  15. object — to protest
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. object — an aim
  18. pop — soda
  19. cell — a phone
  20. firm — decided
  21. board — a committee
  22. rush — hurry
  23. degree — an amount
  24. pop — 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