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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. cue — for pool
  3. degree — temperature
  4. ball — a great time
  5. scale — in music
  6. object — a thing
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. cue — a signal
  9. scale — size or range
  10. press — to push
  11. ball — a dance
  12. cue — a hint
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. object — an aim
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. degree — from a university
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. rock — a stone
  20. sharp — clever
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — a publisher
  23. object — to protest
  24. degree — an amount

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