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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. chair — a leader
  3. toast — bread
  4. track — a path
  5. degree — from a university
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. track — a song
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. degree — temperature
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bear — the animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bear — the animal
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. track — to keep track
  24. fan — to cool the air

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