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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 116 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. present — the time now
  4. race — the arms race
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — from a university
  9. race — a contest
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. degree — temperature
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cue — for pool
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bass — the fish
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. present — a gift
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. race — humankind
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. present — there
  24. bass — low music

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