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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. cue — a signal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. cue — a hint
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. saw — the tool
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. degree — temperature
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. board — to get on
  15. degree — an amount
  16. board — a committee
  17. cap — of ice
  18. saw — the tool
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — a hat
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. cue — for pool
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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