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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. cue — a signal
  6. spring — a coil
  7. cue — a hint
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. net — in sport
  10. degree — temperature
  11. net — for catching
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. net — after costs
  14. pass — a permit
  15. present — a gift
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. degree — an amount
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. degree — from a university
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — there
  23. spring — the season
  24. bear — the animal

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