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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. degree — an amount
  3. mug — a face
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. race — humankind
  11. pitch — completely
  12. race — a contest
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mug — a cup
  17. degree — temperature
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. mug — to rob
  20. rest — a break
  21. race — the arms race
  22. degree — from a university
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pitch — a sports field

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