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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. bass — the fish
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bass — low music
  7. cue — a signal
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. fine — high quality
  10. spring — a coil
  11. degree — temperature
  12. spring — of water
  13. swing — in golf
  14. degree — from a university
  15. fine — all right
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. cue — a hint
  18. swing — music
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. swing — to play on
  21. snap — to click
  22. degree — an amount
  23. spring — the season
  24. bass — the instrument

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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