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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 116 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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  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. cold — the Cold War
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. tube — a container
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pop — music
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — to visit
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. degree — an amount
  17. cold — not warm
  18. degree — temperature
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. cold — an illness
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. pass — a permit
  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