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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pop — to visit
  4. court — for sport
  5. pop — soda
  6. degree — an amount
  7. court — of law
  8. staff — employees
  9. wind — moving air
  10. staff — a stick
  11. firm — decided
  12. craft — boats
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. court — of a king
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. craft — a skill
  19. firm — steady
  20. degree — from a university
  21. firm — a company
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pop — music
  24. degree — temperature

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