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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: rush · leaves · staff · last · field · racket · firm · pass

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. field — a subject
  6. staff — a stick
  7. rush — hurry
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. staff — employees
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. firm — steady
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — finally
  16. staff — employees
  17. field — farmland
  18. firm — decided
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. field — for sport
  22. last — final
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. rush — to hurry

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