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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: track · date · nail · stand · degree · safe · file · cap

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — to bear
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. degree — from a university
  11. track — a song
  12. file — a line of people
  13. cap — a hat
  14. degree — temperature
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. track — a path
  18. date — the fruit
  19. file — a tool
  20. track — to keep track
  21. cap — of ice
  22. degree — an amount
  23. file — a document
  24. cap — a lid

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