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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 124 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 don't need to ________________ round.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. degree — an amount
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to sink
  7. kid — to tease
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. mark — a grade
  11. degree — temperature
  12. kid — child
  13. key — the most important part
  14. cue — a hint
  15. pop — soda
  16. degree — from a university
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. key — in music
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pop — music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. mark — a trace
  24. cue — for pool

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