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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · staff · cell · ball · degree · bound · press · suit

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. ball — a dance
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — obliged
  7. press — a publisher
  8. rest — what's left
  9. degree — from a university
  10. cell — a phone
  11. ball — a great time
  12. staff — a stick
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. press — to push
  15. press — newspapers
  16. degree — an amount
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — clothes
  19. cell — in biology
  20. staff — employees
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. suit — to fit
  24. cell — in a prison

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