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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. board — to get on
  6. key — the most important part
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. key — in music
  10. degree — temperature
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. key — for a lock
  14. staff — employees
  15. degree — an amount
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. deal — to handle
  18. board — a committee
  19. degree — from a university
  20. staff — employees
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — for spectators

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