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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. cue — a signal
  3. key — in music
  4. degree — temperature
  5. object — a thing
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — for pool
  9. object — an aim
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. object — to protest
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. degree — from a university
  18. hide — to keep secret

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