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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. degree — an amount
  5. club — for golf
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pop — soda
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. club — a group
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. degree — from a university
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cue — a signal
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. charge — in control
  22. cue — for pool
  23. pop — music
  24. dip — to sink

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