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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: suit · squash · degree · hand · cabinet · fine · staff · rest

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. squash — the sport
  3. degree — an amount
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. rest — what's left
  9. suit — to fit
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. degree — from a university
  17. fine — high quality
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — clothes
  20. rest — a break
  21. hand — help
  22. degree — temperature
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fine — all right

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