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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: leaves · staff · court · present · drill · safe · pass · degree

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. court — of law
  4. degree — temperature
  5. present — there
  6. degree — an amount
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. drill — a practice
  9. staff — employees
  10. court — for sport
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. drill — the tool
  14. court — of a king
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. present — the time now
  17. drill — army training
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. pass — a permit
  20. present — a gift
  21. degree — from a university
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. staff — employees

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