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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.

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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. degree — an amount
  3. cue — a signal
  4. degree — from a university
  5. cue — a hint
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. fall — the season
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. fall — to drop
  12. ball — a great time
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. degree — temperature
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fall — to drop
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. racket — for tennis

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