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

Word bank: bay · present · squash · bore · charge · stick · stand · degree

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. present — a gift
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. present — there
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bore — to tire
  11. charge — a price
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bore — to drill
  14. charge — electricity
  15. degree — an amount
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. stand — to bear
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. charge — in control
  21. degree — from a university
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. present — the time now

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