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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. degree — temperature
  3. key — the most important part
  4. march — the month
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — clever
  9. band — a ring
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. key — in music
  12. band — a music group
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. march — music
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. march — the month
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — an amount
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bowl — to roll

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