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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. firm — a company
  3. mark — a trace
  4. firm — decided
  5. bound — tied together
  6. degree — temperature
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rest — a break
  10. mark — a grade
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bound — certain
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bound — obliged
  16. degree — from a university
  17. firm — steady
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. rest — what's left
  20. degree — an amount
  21. cue — a hint
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — to shout

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