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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. ground — a position
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. degree — from a university
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. march — the month
  11. ground — crushed
  12. march — the month
  13. degree — temperature
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. march — music
  16. board — to get on
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. degree — an amount
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. board — a committee
  21. stand — to bear
  22. ground — the earth
  23. wake — a trail
  24. ruler — for measuring

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