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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. suit — clothes
  3. mate — to breed
  4. cue — for pool
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — a friend
  8. net — in sport
  9. pit — in a race
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pit — a hole
  14. degree — an amount
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. cue — a signal
  18. suit — to fit
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. degree — temperature
  22. sharp — clever
  23. suit — in cards
  24. degree — from a university

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