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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. cell — in a prison
  2. stock — goods
  3. degree — from a university
  4. face — part of the head
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. cell — in biology
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. stock — shares
  10. degree — temperature
  11. face — to confront
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — a lid
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cell — a phone
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rush — hurry
  23. face — to point toward
  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