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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. snap — to click
  4. cue — for pool
  5. degree — temperature
  6. cue — a signal
  7. firm — decided
  8. degree — from a university
  9. firm — a company
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. firm — steady
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mark — a trace
  17. degree — an amount
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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