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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: kick · staff · last · scale · jam · degree · trunk · present

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. kick — in football
  3. last — finally
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. last — final
  8. staff — employees
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. degree — temperature
  11. last — to go on
  12. degree — an amount
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. degree — from a university
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. present — the time now
  21. scale — size or range
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

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