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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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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: fine · coach · degree · kid · staff · rule

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rule — government
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — to tease
  5. degree — from a university
  6. fine — high quality
  7. staff — a stick
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. degree — an amount
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. staff — employees
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. staff — employees
  14. degree — temperature
  15. rule — a law
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fine — all right

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