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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. staff — a stick
  3. fall — the season
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. fall — to drop
  8. net — for catching
  9. degree — an amount
  10. net — in sport
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — temperature
  13. staff — employees
  14. rock — music
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pass — a permit
  17. last — finally
  18. suit — in cards
  19. staff — employees
  20. rock — a stone
  21. suit — to fit
  22. last — final
  23. last — to go on
  24. fall — to drop

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