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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 120 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. degree — from a university
  3. staff — employees
  4. present — a gift
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. degree — an amount
  7. present — there
  8. present — the time now
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ball — a great time
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. staff — a stick
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. stand — to bear
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. staff — employees
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — belonging to me

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