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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. staff — employees
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rush — hurry
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. degree — from a university
  7. object — a thing
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. degree — an amount
  11. season — of the year
  12. object — an aim
  13. stem — to come from
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. degree — temperature
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. staff — a stick
  23. object — to protest
  24. staff — employees

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