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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.

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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — temperature
  3. suit — clothes
  4. craft — a skill
  5. staff — employees
  6. court — of law
  7. craft — boats
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. charge — in control
  11. staff — a stick
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. charge — electricity
  14. court — for sport
  15. charge — a price
  16. degree — an amount
  17. staff — employees
  18. court — of a king
  19. wake — a trail
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. suit — to fit
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — a straw man

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