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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: suit · degree · court · staff · sharp · pitcher · fan · cell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. court — for sport
  6. cell — a phone
  7. sharp — clever
  8. staff — a stick
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — of law
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. staff — employees
  13. degree — from a university
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cell — in biology
  17. suit — to fit
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. degree — an amount
  21. suit — in cards
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. degree — temperature
  24. staff — employees

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