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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. cue — for pool
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — all right
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. mark — a trace
  10. degree — an amount
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. degree — temperature
  13. chip — to eat
  14. cue — a hint
  15. scale — size or range
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. wind — moving air
  18. degree — from a university
  19. cue — a signal
  20. scale — in music
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. chip — for betting
  24. suit — clothes

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