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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: chair · march · stand · stick · degree · lie · bowl · net

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. march — the month
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. degree — an amount
  6. march — music
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. net — in sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. degree — from a university
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. march — the month
  20. net — after costs
  21. stand — to bear
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. net — for catching
  24. degree — temperature

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