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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. degree — temperature
  4. race — a contest
  5. rule — a law
  6. stand — to bear
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. file — a line of people
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — an amount
  11. race — the arms race
  12. cell — in biology
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. file — a tool
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rule — government
  17. file — a document
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. race — humankind

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