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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: stick · degree · land · firm · arm · leaves · toast · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. degree — an amount
  3. firm — steady
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. degree — from a university
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. land — a country
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. land — to come down
  14. toast — bread
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. firm — decided
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. roll — a cake
  20. land — ground
  21. firm — a company
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. degree — temperature

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