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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — there
  3. degree — from a university
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. stand — to bear
  6. degree — an amount
  7. track — a song
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. track — to keep track
  10. saw — the tool
  11. capital — a city
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. vault — a safe
  14. track — a path
  15. capital — money
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. degree — temperature
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. present — the time now
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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