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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cue — a hint
  4. staff — employees
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mug — a face
  14. mark — a trace
  15. degree — an amount
  16. mug — a cup
  17. degree — from a university
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bass — low music

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