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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mark — a trace
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. degree — from a university
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mug — to rob
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. object — an aim
  11. mark — a grade
  12. object — to protest
  13. degree — temperature
  14. stand — to bear
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mug — a cup
  17. board — a committee
  18. object — a thing
  19. degree — an amount
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. board — to get on
  22. mug — a face
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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