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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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. degree — from a university
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. chip — for betting
  6. net — for catching
  7. staff — employees
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. degree — temperature
  14. perch — the fish
  15. chip — to eat
  16. shower — rain
  17. net — in sport
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. shower — to wash
  20. degree — an amount
  21. net — after costs
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. stand — to bear

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