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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. cue — a hint
  3. drill — the tool
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. deal — to handle
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bass — the fish
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitch — completely
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. game — a match
  19. bass — low music
  20. drill — army training
  21. game — wild animals
  22. drill — a practice
  23. degree — from a university
  24. deal — a big deal

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