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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. spell — a short time
  3. object — an aim
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — child
  6. object — a thing
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pop — music
  10. degree — temperature
  11. stand — to bear
  12. object — to protest
  13. pop — soda
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. degree — from a university
  16. pop — to visit
  17. suit — to fit
  18. spell — magic
  19. suit — clothes
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. degree — an amount
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. kid — to tease
  24. spell — letters

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