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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.

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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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. safe — a strongbox
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — from a university
  6. file — a document
  7. cue — a signal
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. file — a line of people
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. file — a tool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bat — for baseball

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