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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: patient · spring · stand · vault · firm · file · pitcher · degree

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. degree — from a university
  3. spring — of water
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. file — a line of people
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. spring — the season
  9. file — a tool
  10. spring — a coil
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — steady
  13. vault — a safe
  14. degree — temperature
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. firm — a company
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. degree — an amount

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