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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: degree · stand · chest · file · cabinet · fan · net · craft

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. net — in sport
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. net — for catching
  7. craft — a skill
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. file — a line of people
  10. degree — from a university
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stand — to bear
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. file — a tool
  17. degree — temperature
  18. file — a document
  19. net — after costs
  20. craft — boats
  21. chest — a box
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. degree — an amount

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