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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: pound · rock · rush · chip · lean · pit · degree · staff

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. degree — from a university
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pit — a hole
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. degree — an amount
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. degree — temperature
  11. rush — hurry
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rock — music
  14. staff — employees
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pound — a weight
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. chip — to eat
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rush — to 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