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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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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: stand · degree · cabinet · can · lie · club

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. can — a tin
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. club — for golf
  7. degree — from a university
  8. can — to be able to
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. can — a tin
  15. degree — an amount
  16. stand — to bear
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard

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