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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 124 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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Word bank
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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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 — an amount
  4. pit — a hole
  5. object — an aim
  6. plane — a tool
  7. object — to protest
  8. pit — in a race
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wind — moving air
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. wind — moving air
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. object — a thing
  19. degree — temperature
  20. stand — to bear
  21. degree — from a university
  22. chair — a leader
  23. drill — army training
  24. chair — a professorship

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