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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: rest · march · foot · safe · degree · bat · staff · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rest — what's left
  5. march — the month
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. staff — employees
  8. rock — a stone
  9. degree — from a university
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. march — the month
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. degree — an amount
  17. march — music
  18. staff — a stick
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rest — a break
  21. degree — temperature
  22. staff — employees
  23. rock — music
  24. foot — a measure

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