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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bound — obliged
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pass — a permit
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. degree — from a university
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. hand — help
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. degree — an amount
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bound — certain
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bat — the animal
  18. fork — in a road
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. degree — temperature

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