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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 116 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: object · last · stand · hand · fine · bowl · degree · field

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. object — a thing
  4. degree — temperature
  5. stand — to bear
  6. field — for sport
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. field — a subject
  9. object — an aim
  10. fine — all right
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — finally
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. hand — help
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. object — to protest
  19. degree — from a university
  20. fine — high quality
  21. degree — an amount
  22. field — farmland
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. last — final

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