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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 124 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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. game — a match
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. staff — employees
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cap — a lid
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — temperature
  11. march — music
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. staff — employees
  14. cap — a hat
  15. game — wild animals
  16. staff — a stick
  17. degree — from a university
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. march — the month
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. march — the month
  24. cue — a hint

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