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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. pit — a hole
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. degree — temperature
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stock — goods
  7. present — a gift
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. pit — in a race
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. present — the time now
  16. mate — a friend
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mate — to breed
  19. present — there
  20. degree — an amount
  21. stock — shares
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. degree — from a university
  24. stand — to bear

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