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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. firm — steady
  3. season — of the year
  4. row — a line
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. wake — a trail
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. firm — decided
  9. cue — for pool
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cue — a signal
  12. degree — temperature
  13. firm — a company
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. dip — to sink
  16. degree — an amount
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. capital — money
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. degree — from a university
  22. season — in sport
  23. row — to paddle
  24. capital — a city

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