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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 120 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 university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. degree — an amount
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. craft — boats
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. degree — temperature
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stand — to bear
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. rule — government
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rule — a law
  23. craft — a skill
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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