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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: degree · cabinet · stand · bowl · fine · fork · roll · pitch

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. roll — a cake
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. degree — an amount
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. roll — a list
  8. fine — all right
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. degree — temperature
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. fork — in a road
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. pitch — completely
  24. fine — high quality

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