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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: stand · degree · cap · sharp · nail · prune · lean · track

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. track — a path
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. cap — a lid
  6. lean — thin
  7. cap — of ice
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. prune — to trim
  13. track — a song
  14. cap — a hat
  15. track — to keep track
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — temperature
  21. prune — to trim
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. degree — from a university

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