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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 · bank · cabinet · degree · can · race · bowl · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. degree — an amount
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. degree — from a university
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. race — the arms race
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. can — a tin
  13. stand — to bear
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bank — for money
  16. can — to be able to
  17. race — humankind
  18. bank — of a river
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bank — for money
  21. race — a contest
  22. ground — a position
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. can — a tin

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