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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.

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: mate · firm · staff · degree · chair · key · fan · bear

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. mate — a partner
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. key — for a lock
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. staff — a stick
  10. firm — steady
  11. bear — the animal
  12. degree — temperature
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. chair — a leader
  16. degree — from a university
  17. staff — employees
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. key — in music
  23. staff — employees
  24. degree — an amount

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