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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.

Make a worksheet

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: club · degree · mine · fan · ruler · hide · coach · staff

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. degree — from a university
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. staff — employees
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. degree — an amount
  7. club — for dancing
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. staff — a stick
  14. degree — temperature
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. staff — employees
  20. club — for golf
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mine — for digging
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fan — a supporter

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