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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — completely
  5. kick — in football
  6. cap — a lid
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. degree — from a university
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. foot — a measure
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. degree — temperature
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. degree — an amount
  23. cap — a hat
  24. racket — for tennis

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