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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: squash · board · file · degree · stand · date · temple · arm

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. degree — temperature
  4. date — the fruit
  5. degree — an amount
  6. squash — the sport
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. file — a document
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stand — to bear
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a tool
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. board — a committee
  22. squash — to crush
  23. degree — from a university
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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