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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. degree — an amount
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. roll — a cake
  7. present — the time now
  8. swing — music
  9. roll — a list
  10. swing — in golf
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. present — a gift
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. cue — for pool
  15. degree — temperature
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. present — there
  20. cue — a hint
  21. swing — to play on
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. chair — a leader
  24. degree — from a university

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