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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. degree — from a university
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. rest — a break
  6. cue — a signal
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. degree — an amount
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. capital — money
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. degree — temperature
  14. scale — size or range
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cue — for pool
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cue — a hint
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stand — to bear
  23. capital — a city
  24. calf — a young animal

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