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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stem · degree · fine · court · rash · racket · staff · toast

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. rash — hasty
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. staff — employees
  6. court — of law
  7. degree — from a university
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. court — of a king
  12. fine — high quality
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. toast — bread
  15. degree — an amount
  16. stem — to come from
  17. degree — temperature
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. court — for sport
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — all right
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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