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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. tube — a container
  6. cue — a signal
  7. firm — steady
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bark — to shout
  10. firm — decided
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. degree — an amount
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. degree — from a university
  17. rest — a break
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rest — what's left
  20. firm — a company
  21. charge — in control
  22. kick — in football
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cue — a hint

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