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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. cue — a signal
  3. firm — steady
  4. scale — in music
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. swing — in golf
  7. scale — size or range
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. degree — from a university
  10. swing — music
  11. rule — government
  12. firm — decided
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. rule — a law
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. firm — a company
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of law
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — an amount
  23. foot — a measure
  24. court — of a king

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