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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. degree — from a university
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. cue — for pool
  5. present — the time now
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. stock — goods
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pass — a permit
  10. degree — temperature
  11. snap — to click
  12. prune — to trim
  13. chip — to eat
  14. cue — a signal
  15. stock — shares
  16. present — there
  17. prune — to trim
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. present — a gift
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. chip — for betting
  23. degree — an amount
  24. pass — to spend time

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