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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. degree — from a university
  3. roll — a list
  4. land — a country
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. season — of the year
  7. cue — for pool
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. degree — temperature
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. land — to come down
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ball — a great time
  18. land — ground
  19. degree — an amount
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. season — in sport
  22. cue — a hint
  23. roll — a cake
  24. ball — a dance

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