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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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. season — of the year
  4. degree — an amount
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. deal — to handle
  8. pass — a permit
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bound — tied together
  11. scale — size or range
  12. prune — to trim
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bound — certain
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. degree — from a university
  19. scale — in music
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — in sport
  22. prune — to trim
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bound — obliged

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