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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. degree — temperature
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a cup
  6. degree — from a university
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bound — tied together
  9. mug — a face
  10. race — the arms race
  11. perch — the fish
  12. key — in music
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — certain
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. race — humankind
  19. degree — an amount
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. race — a contest
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lash — an eyelash

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