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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bound — tied together
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. capital — a city
  9. bound — certain
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pitch — completely
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bound — obliged
  17. degree — an amount
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. stand — to bear
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. capital — money
  24. craft — boats

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