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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. degree — from a university
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — to bear
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bear — the animal
  10. roll — a cake
  11. roll — a list
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. can — a tin
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. cell — in biology
  17. can — a tin
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bear — the animal
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. can — to be able to
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. cell — a phone

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