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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. wake — a trail
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chair — a leader
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. court — of law
  13. court — for sport
  14. degree — from a university
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. cue — a signal
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. degree — temperature
  19. saw — the tool
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. court — of a king
  22. cue — a hint
  23. degree — an amount
  24. chair — a professorship

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