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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 120 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: cabinet · temple · field · staff · degree · pass · perch · fall

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. fall — to drop
  5. field — a subject
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. degree — an amount
  8. pass — a permit
  9. field — for sport
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. fall — the season
  13. staff — employees
  14. field — farmland
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. degree — temperature
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. perch — the fish
  23. fall — to drop
  24. degree — from a university

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