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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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: degree · mine · cabinet · bowl · toast · staff · pitch · rush

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. degree — from a university
  5. toast — bread
  6. mine — for digging
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. staff — employees
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. degree — temperature
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. degree — an amount
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. staff — employees
  24. rush — hurry

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