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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · staff · rule · degree · bowl · suit

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. degree — an amount
  5. suit — in cards
  6. staff — employees
  7. degree — from a university
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. staff — employees
  13. rule — government
  14. suit — clothes
  15. degree — temperature
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. rule — a law
  18. staff — a stick

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