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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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Word bank
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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. prune — to trim
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bass — the fish
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. cue — a hint
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. prune — to trim
  15. degree — from a university
  16. cue — a signal
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wind — moving air
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. wind — moving air

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