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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 124 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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pound — a weight
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. suit — to fit
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. roll — a cake
  14. spell — letters
  15. degree — from a university
  16. stand — to bear
  17. roll — a list
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. degree — an amount
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  24. degree — temperature

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