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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: stand · degree · cap · bay · deal · cue · field · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cue — for pool
  4. field — farmland
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. stand — to bear
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. degree — temperature
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. field — a subject
  20. degree — from a university
  21. field — for sport
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cue — a signal

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