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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 124 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. degree — an amount
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. bass — low music
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. degree — from a university
  9. object — to protest
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. field — a subject
  12. pass — a permit
  13. object — an aim
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. object — a thing
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. field — for sport
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. field — farmland
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. foot — a measure
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bass — the fish

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