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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. charge — a price
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. degree — temperature
  7. craft — a skill
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. charge — in control
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. wind — moving air
  15. kick — in football
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. charge — electricity
  22. craft — boats
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bat — the animal

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