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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: can · staff · fan · degree · rush · scale · firm · pop

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pop — soda
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. firm — steady
  9. scale — in music
  10. can — a tin
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. staff — a stick
  14. can — a tin
  15. rush — hurry
  16. staff — employees
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. degree — an amount
  19. staff — employees
  20. pop — music
  21. firm — decided
  22. pop — to visit
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — temperature

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