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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.

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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: bass · degree · suit · fork · rule · can · staff · spring

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. rule — government
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bass — the fish
  5. staff — employees
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. degree — an amount
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. can — to be able to
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — temperature
  12. spring — a coil
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. staff — a stick
  15. rule — a law
  16. spring — the season
  17. can — a tin
  18. staff — employees
  19. bass — low music
  20. suit — to fit
  21. spring — of water
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. fork — in a road
  24. can — a tin

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