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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 120 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a hint
  3. game — a match
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. current — happening now
  6. press — a publisher
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. scale — size or range
  9. sharp — clever
  10. face — to point toward
  11. degree — from a university
  12. face — part of the head
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. degree — temperature
  16. current — electric
  17. game — wild animals
  18. press — to push
  19. face — to confront
  20. press — newspapers
  21. scale — in music
  22. current — of water
  23. degree — an amount
  24. cue — a signal

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