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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. swing — to play on
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. degree — an amount
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. sharp — clever
  12. degree — from a university
  13. swing — music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a word
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. degree — temperature
  19. scale — in music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. scale — size or range
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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