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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. spell — letters
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pop — soda
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. degree — temperature
  14. pop — music
  15. degree — an amount
  16. can — a tin
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. degree — from a university
  21. spell — magic
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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