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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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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 · lean · firm · arm · degree · bat · rash · fork

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. degree — an amount
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. fork — in a road
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bat — the animal
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. degree — temperature
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. degree — from a university
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — a company
  19. rash — a series
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. lean — thin
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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