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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: stand · scale · cell · can · patient · staff · court · degree

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. degree — an amount
  5. court — of a king
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cell — in biology
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. can — a tin
  10. degree — temperature
  11. court — of law
  12. can — a tin
  13. staff — employees
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. court — for sport
  16. cell — a phone
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. can — to be able to
  19. staff — employees
  20. degree — from a university
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. stand — to bear

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