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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. can — a tin
  3. degree — temperature
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. sharp — clever
  6. degree — an amount
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. can — a tin
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. can — to be able to
  16. stand — to bear
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pop — music
  21. degree — from a university
  22. hand — help
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. hand — in cards

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