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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 116 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: stand · nail · land · straw · degree · racket · mate · mine

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. land — a country
  4. degree — an amount
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mate — a partner
  7. degree — temperature
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. land — to come down
  11. stand — to bear
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. mine — for digging
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. degree — from a university
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. land — ground
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. mate — to breed

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