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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lean — to bend
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. field — for sport
  12. suit — to fit
  13. field — a subject
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. suit — in cards
  16. field — farmland
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rock — a stone
  21. stand — to bear
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — from a university
  24. stand — on your feet

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