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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mug — to rob
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wake — a trail
  5. degree — temperature
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. stand — to bear
  8. drill — army training
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. present — the time now
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mug — a cup
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — there
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mug — a face
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. drill — the tool

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