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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.

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: temple · kick · firm · capital · staff · degree · suit · stock

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. degree — an amount
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. capital — a city
  7. firm — a company
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. kick — in football
  13. degree — from a university
  14. suit — clothes
  15. capital — money
  16. suit — in cards
  17. firm — steady
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. firm — decided
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. suit — to fit
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. degree — temperature

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