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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 120 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pit — in a race
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. march — the month
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. degree — an amount
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. march — music
  17. wax — to grow
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. march — the month
  20. pit — a hole
  21. craft — a skill
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. key — the most important part
  24. deal — to handle

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