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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. degree — an amount
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. date — the fruit
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. key — the most important part
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. scale — in music
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. degree — temperature
  16. scale — size or range
  17. ball — a great time
  18. key — for a lock
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. key — in music
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. degree — from a university
  23. ball — a dance
  24. leaves — to go away

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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