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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. pass — a permit
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. cue — for pool
  6. degree — from a university
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. rash — hasty
  9. mark — a grade
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. mark — a trace
  12. vault — a safe
  13. hand — in cards
  14. cue — a signal
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. cue — a hint
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. degree — an amount
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. sharp — clever
  22. degree — temperature
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. hand — help

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