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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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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 ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. staff — employees
  4. degree — temperature
  5. lie — to recline
  6. stand — to bear
  7. staff — a stick
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. degree — an amount
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. staff — employees
  24. degree — from a university

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