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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: arm · fine · present · stand · club · nail · safe · degree

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. present — there
  5. club — a group
  6. degree — an amount
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. club — for golf
  9. fine — high quality
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — temperature
  13. fine — all right
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. club — for dancing
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. present — the time now
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. present — a gift
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stand — on your feet

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