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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. drill — a practice
  7. degree — from a university
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. spell — a short time
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. degree — temperature
  14. drill — army training
  15. spell — magic
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. degree — an amount
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. spell — letters
  21. stem — to come from
  22. drill — the tool
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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