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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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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: degree · rock · capital · track · staff · pass · wave · kid

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. degree — temperature
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. pass — a permit
  5. staff — employees
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. staff — employees
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. kid — child
  17. track — a song
  18. capital — a city
  19. degree — from a university
  20. rock — music
  21. degree — an amount
  22. staff — a stick
  23. rock — a stone
  24. capital — money

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