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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: pass · land · degree · rest · bowl · staff · bay · ground

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — ground
  3. rest — what's left
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pass — a permit
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — from a university
  10. rest — a break
  11. staff — employees
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. ground — a position
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. land — to come down
  24. bowl — to roll

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