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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.

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: net · game · degree · firm · cabinet · object · vault · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — wild animals
  5. net — in sport
  6. stand — to bear
  7. firm — decided
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. object — to protest
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — steady
  12. object — an aim
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. game — a match
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. degree — from a university
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. degree — temperature
  19. vault — a safe
  20. net — after costs
  21. degree — an amount
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. object — a thing
  24. net — for catching

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