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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. drill — the tool
  3. present — a gift
  4. cue — a hint
  5. object — a thing
  6. snap — to click
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. object — an aim
  9. degree — an amount
  10. object — to protest
  11. cue — a signal
  12. drill — a practice
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — from a university
  15. cap — of ice
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. present — the time now
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. drill — army training
  21. cue — for pool
  22. present — there
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cap — a lid

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