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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. suit — in cards
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. clip — to cut
  7. degree — temperature
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. foot — a measure
  10. track — a song
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. clip — a video
  13. track — to keep track
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. suit — to fit
  17. stand — to bear
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. clip — for paper
  20. degree — an amount
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. track — a path
  23. degree — from a university
  24. suit — clothes

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