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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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 — a signal
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. court — of a king
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. cue — a hint
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pass — a permit
  9. degree — from a university
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. court — of law
  12. cue — for pool
  13. rule — a law
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. court — for sport
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rule — government
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pass — to spend time
  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