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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 124 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: cell · stand · firm · kid · club · degree

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. degree — temperature
  4. kid — child
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — for golf
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. degree — an amount
  10. firm — decided
  11. cell — in biology
  12. firm — steady
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. degree — from a university
  18. cell — a phone

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