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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. spell — letters
  3. pop — to visit
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pop — soda
  6. degree — from a university
  7. squash — the sport
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. degree — an amount
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. squash — to crush
  13. pop — music
  14. cue — a signal
  15. spell — magic
  16. cue — a hint
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — part of the head
  19. degree — temperature
  20. face — to confront
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. spell — a short time
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. cabinet — ministers

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