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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. degree — from a university
  3. suit — to fit
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. swing — in golf
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. stand — to bear
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bark — to shout
  16. degree — temperature
  17. suit — in cards
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. swing — music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fan — a supporter

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