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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. court — of a king
  5. present — a gift
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. present — there
  11. court — for sport
  12. stand — to bear
  13. rock — a stone
  14. degree — from a university
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. field — a subject
  18. degree — an amount
  19. squash — to crush
  20. field — for sport
  21. rock — music
  22. squash — the sport
  23. court — of law
  24. field — farmland

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