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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. degree — from a university
  3. shower — rain
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. suit — in cards
  6. degree — temperature
  7. suit — to fit
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. degree — an amount
  10. suit — clothes
  11. track — to keep track
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. vault — a safe
  24. shower — to wash

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