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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. stand — to bear
  3. degree — from a university
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rock — music
  6. saw — the tool
  7. degree — an amount
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. degree — temperature
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. perch — the fish
  21. rush — hurry
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. rock — a stone

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