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

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. saw — the tool
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. degree — from a university
  5. hand — in cards
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — temperature
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. firm — steady
  13. hand — help
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. stand — to bear
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. firm — decided
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. firm — a company
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. staff — employees
  24. saw — the tool

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