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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. track — to keep track
  3. can — a tin
  4. rest — a break
  5. degree — from a university
  6. can — a tin
  7. chip — for betting
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cue — a hint
  12. degree — temperature
  13. cue — for pool
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rest — what's left
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. track — a path
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chip — to eat
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. degree — an amount
  24. track — a song

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