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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: cue · stand · degree · fine · lean · bat · drill · file

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. file — a line of people
  5. lean — to bend
  6. cue — for pool
  7. drill — army training
  8. file — a tool
  9. drill — the tool
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cue — a hint
  12. stand — to bear
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bat — the animal
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. lean — thin
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. file — a document
  22. fine — all right
  23. degree — an amount
  24. fine — high quality

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