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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stand — to bear
  9. track — a path
  10. degree — an amount
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. track — a song
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. wake — a trail

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