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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: fall · degree · stand · object · toast · clip · current · swing

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. clip — for paper
  4. swing — music
  5. toast — bread
  6. fall — to drop
  7. clip — a video
  8. degree — an amount
  9. clip — to cut
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — to bear
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. swing — to play on
  14. object — a thing
  15. swing — in golf
  16. current — electric
  17. current — of water
  18. object — to protest
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — temperature
  21. object — an aim
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. current — happening now
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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