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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 116 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. degree — an amount
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. firm — decided
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pound — a weight
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. cap — a hat
  17. stand — to bear
  18. cap — of ice
  19. branch — a division
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. degree — from a university
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. degree — temperature

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