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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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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: staff · sharp · rule · bank · toast · lean · pit · degree

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. degree — temperature
  3. sharp — clever
  4. toast — bread
  5. rule — a law
  6. staff — a stick
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. degree — from a university
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bank — for money
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. lean — thin
  18. degree — an amount
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. rule — government
  21. staff — employees
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pit — a hole

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