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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cue — for pool
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. degree — from a university
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. club — a group
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. cue — a signal
  12. row — a line
  13. rash — hasty
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rash — a series
  16. club — for golf
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. degree — temperature
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cell — in biology
  21. row — to paddle
  22. cell — a phone
  23. club — for dancing
  24. cue — a hint

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