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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. drill — a practice
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — clever
  6. degree — an amount
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. degree — temperature
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. drill — army training
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. capital — a city
  17. degree — from a university
  18. drill — the tool
  19. stand — to bear
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. capital — money

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