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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.

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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: bay · staff · suit · degree · mine · fall · key · cell

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. suit — to fit
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — temperature
  7. suit — in cards
  8. fall — to drop
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. staff — employees
  12. cell — in biology
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mine — for digging
  19. staff — employees
  20. suit — clothes
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. key — for a lock
  24. cell — a phone

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