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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. staff — a stick
  4. degree — from a university
  5. staff — employees
  6. craft — a skill
  7. degree — temperature
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. firm — steady
  11. degree — an amount
  12. pitch — completely
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. prune — to trim
  17. staff — employees
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. firm — a company
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. firm — decided
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. calf — of the leg

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