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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. degree — from a university
  4. mate — a friend
  5. march — music
  6. current — happening now
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mate — a partner
  10. degree — temperature
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. degree — an amount
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. current — electric
  18. mate — to breed
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. current — of water

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