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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. degree — temperature
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. staff — a stick
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. degree — from a university
  7. rush — hurry
  8. perch — the fish
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. degree — an amount
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rush — to hurry

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