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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. cell — in biology
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. current — electric
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. band — a music group
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. current — happening now
  11. object — an aim
  12. degree — from a university
  13. current — of water
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. staff — a stick
  16. cap — a lid
  17. object — a thing
  18. degree — an amount
  19. staff — employees
  20. degree — temperature
  21. cap — a hat
  22. band — a ring
  23. cap — of ice
  24. object — to protest

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