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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: degree · ball · file · squash · firm · fan · stand · patient

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. ball — a dance
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. firm — decided
  5. ball — a great time
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the sport
  10. file — a document
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. file — a tool
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. file — a line of people
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. firm — a company
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — temperature
  21. stand — to bear
  22. firm — steady
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. squash — the vegetable

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