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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. field — for sport
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. degree — temperature
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. degree — from a university
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. stand — to bear
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. toast — bread
  19. field — a subject
  20. wake — a trail
  21. field — farmland
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — of a tree

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