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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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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: ball · pass · degree · net · coach · key · staff · fall

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fall — the season
  3. staff — employees
  4. key — for a lock
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. pass — a permit
  8. staff — a stick
  9. net — in sport
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — after costs
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. key — in music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. fall — to drop
  17. degree — from a university
  18. ball — a dance
  19. fall — to drop
  20. degree — an amount
  21. staff — employees
  22. degree — temperature
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pass — to succeed

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