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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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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: net · prune · nail · stand · rock · arm · cap · degree

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rock — a stone
  4. cap — a lid
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cap — of ice
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. cap — a hat
  11. net — in sport
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rock — music
  15. stand — to bear
  16. degree — an amount
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. degree — temperature
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. arm — part of the body

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