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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 116 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: degree · staff · wave · rule · coach · stick · rock · content

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rock — a stone
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. degree — from a university
  7. content — happy
  8. degree — an amount
  9. rule — a law
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. staff — employees
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. rule — government
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. degree — temperature
  16. content — the amount
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. staff — employees
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rock — music
  22. staff — a stick
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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