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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stand — to bear
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — temperature
  9. land — ground
  10. lean — thin
  11. net — for catching
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bulb — for light
  14. net — after costs
  15. land — to come down
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. degree — an amount
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. land — a country
  23. lean — to bend
  24. net — in sport

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