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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mark — a grade
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. degree — temperature
  6. rash — hasty
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rash — a series
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. degree — from a university
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. degree — an amount
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. scale — in music
  21. rock — music
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. mark — a trace

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