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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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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: chest · mate · degree · staff · pit · rock · band · can

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. staff — a stick
  3. can — a tin
  4. chest — a box
  5. degree — an amount
  6. band — a music group
  7. mate — a friend
  8. staff — employees
  9. degree — temperature
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. staff — employees
  15. band — a ring
  16. chest — of your body
  17. can — a tin
  18. degree — from a university
  19. rock — music
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. mate — to breed
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mate — a partner
  24. rock — a stone

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