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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  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. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. degree — temperature
  4. cue — a hint
  5. swing — music
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. swing — to play on
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. cell — in biology
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. degree — an amount
  14. march — music
  15. cue — a signal
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. march — the month
  19. bat — the animal
  20. swing — in golf
  21. degree — from a university
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. march — the month
  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