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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. mug — a face
  2. cue — a hint
  3. degree — from a university
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. staff — employees
  6. mug — to rob
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. staff — a stick
  10. degree — an amount
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. track — a song
  13. mug — a cup
  14. track — to keep track
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. degree — temperature
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. staff — employees
  20. chip — for betting
  21. branch — a division
  22. cue — for pool
  23. track — a path
  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