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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 120 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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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 · cap · bay · bark · cabinet · degree · stand · nail

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. cap — a hat
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. cap — a lid
  10. degree — from a university
  11. cap — of ice
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. degree — an amount
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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