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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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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: lie · march · band · coach · foot · stand · degree · deal

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. deal — to handle
  6. stand — to bear
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. degree — an amount
  9. lie — to recline
  10. band — a music group
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. band — a ring
  16. march — the month
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. degree — from a university
  20. foot — a measure
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. deal — a big deal

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