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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cue — a hint
  4. mine — for digging
  5. degree — temperature
  6. pop — music
  7. firm — decided
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. degree — an amount
  12. pop — to visit
  13. mark — a grade
  14. can — a tin
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pop — soda
  17. can — to be able to
  18. firm — steady
  19. can — a tin
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. degree — from a university
  23. cue — for pool
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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