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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. degree — temperature
  2. staff — employees
  3. file — a document
  4. board — to get on
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — from a university
  7. last — to go on
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a tool
  10. firm — steady
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. firm — a company
  14. last — final
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. last — finally
  17. season — of the year
  18. staff — a stick
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. season — in sport
  21. wake — a trail
  22. firm — decided
  23. board — a committee
  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