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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stand · trunk · degree · bay · track · press · pit · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. track — to keep track
  7. press — a publisher
  8. degree — from a university
  9. track — a song
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pit — a hole
  14. track — a path
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — an amount
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. press — to push
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. press — newspapers
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pit — in a race

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