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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: bay · field · degree · firm · temple · staff · pass · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — temperature
  4. firm — a company
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pass — a permit
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. staff — employees
  11. degree — an amount
  12. firm — steady
  13. staff — employees
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. firm — decided
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. field — farmland
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. season — in sport
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — for sport
  24. staff — a stick

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