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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. suit — in cards
  7. stand — to bear
  8. field — for sport
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. field — farmland
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bass — the fish
  15. degree — an amount
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. field — a subject
  19. suit — to fit
  20. degree — temperature
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mug — a face
  23. bass — low music
  24. mine — for digging

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