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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — a phone
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cue — a signal
  8. toast — bread
  9. foot — a measure
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. degree — an amount
  12. cue — a hint
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — a company
  15. stand — to bear
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. cue — for pool
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. degree — temperature
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. firm — steady
  24. foot — the bottom

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