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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bound — certain
  5. pit — in a race
  6. chip — for betting
  7. press — newspapers
  8. band — a ring
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. degree — an amount
  13. chip — to eat
  14. degree — temperature
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bound — obliged
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. band — a music group
  20. press — to push
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bound — tied together
  24. press — a publisher

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