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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. branch — a division
  3. staff — a stick
  4. degree — temperature
  5. squash — the sport
  6. current — happening now
  7. fine — all right
  8. staff — employees
  9. current — of water
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. staff — employees
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. cue — for pool
  14. fine — high quality
  15. cue — a hint
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. current — electric
  19. degree — from a university
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — for a lock
  22. squash — to crush
  23. degree — an amount
  24. key — in music

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