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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. degree — temperature
  3. spell — a short time
  4. cue — a hint
  5. can — to be able to
  6. degree — from a university
  7. can — a tin
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. mate — a partner
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. degree — an amount
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. branch — a division
  14. mate — to breed
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. mate — a friend
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cue — for pool
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. cue — a signal

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