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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. fall — to drop
  3. key — the most important part
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. cap — of ice
  6. key — for a lock
  7. file — a document
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. degree — from a university
  13. file — a line of people
  14. stand — to bear
  15. file — a tool
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. cap — a lid
  18. fall — the season
  19. cap — a hat
  20. degree — temperature
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. degree — an amount
  24. key — in music

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