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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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468
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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — a group
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pass — a permit
  8. perch — the fish
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. club — for golf
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cold — an illness
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cue — a signal
  17. kick — in football
  18. degree — temperature
  19. cue — a hint
  20. degree — from a university
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. degree — an amount
  23. cue — for pool
  24. kick — with a leg

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