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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 116 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: suit · firm · squash · band · pit · pass · degree · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. pass — a permit
  6. degree — an amount
  7. firm — steady
  8. suit — clothes
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — from a university
  11. band — a ring
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. firm — a company
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — to crush
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pit — a hole
  18. firm — decided
  19. squash — the sport
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. game — a match
  23. pit — in a race
  24. band — a music group

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