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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. chair — a leader
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. present — a gift
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. degree — temperature
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. degree — from a university
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ball — a dance
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. snap — to click

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