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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. row — a line
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. staff — employees
  5. cue — a hint
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bank — of a river
  8. charge — in control
  9. staff — employees
  10. row — to paddle
  11. track — a path
  12. degree — temperature
  13. staff — a stick
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bank — for money
  17. cue — for pool
  18. track — a song
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. track — to keep track
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bank — for money

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