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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. wake — a trail
  3. mark — a trace
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — from a university
  6. present — there
  7. mark — a grade
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. present — a gift
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stock — goods
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stock — shares
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. degree — an amount
  22. game — wild animals
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. game — a match

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