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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: degree · stock · drill · rule · suit · staff · shower · pass

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  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. degree — an amount
  2. staff — employees
  3. suit — to fit
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stock — shares
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — a permit
  12. drill — army training
  13. suit — clothes
  14. rule — a law
  15. drill — a practice
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. stock — goods
  18. suit — in cards
  19. rule — government
  20. staff — employees
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. drill — the tool
  23. degree — temperature
  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