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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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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. degree — temperature
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — for dancing
  7. firm — a company
  8. staff — employees
  9. land — a country
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. club — a group
  13. land — to come down
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. firm — decided
  16. degree — an amount
  17. staff — employees
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. firm — steady
  23. land — ground
  24. chair — a leader

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