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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: rock · degree · date · staff · shower · suit · kick · march

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  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. shower — a meteor shower
  2. suit — clothes
  3. staff — a stick
  4. shower — rain
  5. degree — temperature
  6. rock — a stone
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. suit — in cards
  9. march — the month
  10. shower — to wash
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. march — the month
  13. rock — music
  14. suit — to fit
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. march — music
  17. staff — employees
  18. degree — from a university
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. kick — in football
  21. degree — an amount
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. date — the fruit
  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