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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.

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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: foot · mate · bear · degree · mine · object · staff · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. rest — a break
  4. staff — a stick
  5. object — an aim
  6. degree — from a university
  7. rest — what's left
  8. degree — temperature
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bear — the animal
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mine — for digging
  17. staff — employees
  18. object — a thing
  19. degree — an amount
  20. staff — employees
  21. mate — a friend
  22. object — to protest
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bear — to put up with

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