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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: firm · board · degree · rock · lash · pitcher · staff · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. firm — decided
  3. board — a committee
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. staff — a stick
  6. board — to get on
  7. firm — steady
  8. degree — an amount
  9. staff — employees
  10. degree — from a university
  11. mark — a grade
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. firm — a company
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rock — a stone
  19. staff — employees
  20. degree — temperature
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rock — music
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pitcher — a jug

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