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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. present — there
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bass — the fish
  5. degree — temperature
  6. drill — a practice
  7. present — a gift
  8. bass — low music
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. face — to confront
  12. present — the time now
  13. stand — to bear
  14. drill — the tool
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bear — the animal
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. prune — to trim

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