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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: chip · court · prune · cabinet · lie · stand · wake · degree

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. lie — to recline
  6. degree — from a university
  7. court — of law
  8. wake — a trail
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. degree — an amount
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. court — of a king
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. chip — to eat
  18. degree — temperature
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chip — for betting
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. court — for sport

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