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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
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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 · bear · staff · toast · court · patient · wake · saw

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. staff — employees
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. staff — employees
  10. degree — from a university
  11. staff — a stick
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. court — for sport
  15. degree — temperature
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. degree — an amount
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. court — of a king
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. saw — the tool
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — the most admired

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