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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 116 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. degree — an amount
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. shower — to wash
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. cue — a hint
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. degree — from a university
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. degree — temperature
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. shower — rain
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — for pool

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