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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. degree — temperature
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. drill — the tool
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bank — for money
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — army training
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. degree — an amount
  14. wax — to grow
  15. track — a song
  16. cue — a hint
  17. track — a path
  18. bank — for money
  19. snap — to click
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bank — of a river
  22. track — to keep track
  23. degree — from a university
  24. game — a match

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