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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. game — a match
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. degree — from a university
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. stock — goods
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. degree — temperature
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — music
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. swing — to play on
  16. game — wild animals
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. pound — a weight
  20. can — a tin
  21. stand — to bear
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. can — a tin
  24. degree — an amount

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