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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: spell · field · suit · degree · tear · staff · board · squash

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. field — a subject
  4. spell — a short time
  5. suit — to fit
  6. degree — an amount
  7. tear — from crying
  8. spell — letters
  9. degree — temperature
  10. squash — to crush
  11. spell — magic
  12. squash — the sport
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — for sport
  15. board — to get on
  16. suit — in cards
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. staff — employees
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. degree — from a university
  21. board — a committee
  22. tear — to rip
  23. suit — clothes
  24. tear — from crying

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