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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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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 · pop · dip · degree · bear · present · wind · fine

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. wind — moving air
  4. fine — all right
  5. present — a gift
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. present — the time now
  8. pop — music
  9. wind — moving air
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pop — soda
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — to bear
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pop — to visit
  19. present — there
  20. degree — from a university
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bear — the animal
  24. degree — an amount

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