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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pop · hand · degree · spell · staff · nail · ball · stand

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  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. pop — soda
  2. spell — a short time
  3. stand — to bear
  4. degree — an amount
  5. ball — a dance
  6. staff — a stick
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. degree — temperature
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. ball — a great time
  15. staff — employees
  16. degree — from a university
  17. pop — music
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. spell — letters
  21. pop — to visit
  22. spell — magic
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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