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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 can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. degree — temperature
  10. mine — for digging
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. stand — to bear
  14. degree — from a university
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for golf
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bound — certain
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. degree — an amount

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