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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.

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: mine · staff · plane · mug · stock · present · degree · safe

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. mine — for digging
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. staff — employees
  7. mug — a cup
  8. staff — a stick
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. stock — goods
  13. degree — an amount
  14. present — a gift
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mug — to rob
  17. staff — employees
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. degree — from a university
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. degree — temperature
  23. plane — a tool
  24. stock — shares

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