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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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. stand — for spectators
  4. file — a tool
  5. pit — in a race
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. staff — employees
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. staff — employees
  11. degree — temperature
  12. rule — a law
  13. last — to go on
  14. degree — from a university
  15. rule — government
  16. pit — a hole
  17. stand — to bear
  18. file — a document
  19. last — final
  20. last — finally
  21. file — a line of people
  22. degree — an amount
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. staff — a stick

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