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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. degree — temperature
  6. pop — music
  7. cue — for pool
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. mug — to rob
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pop — to visit
  14. mug — a cup
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cue — a signal
  17. degree — an amount
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mug — a face
  21. degree — from a university
  22. staff — employees
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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