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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. rash — a series
  4. degree — from a university
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. row — to paddle
  8. cue — a hint
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. chair — a leader
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. degree — temperature
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. stand — to bear
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a signal
  19. degree — an amount
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rash — hasty
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. row — a line

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