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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. degree — from a university
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pop — soda
  5. bank — for money
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. cue — a hint
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pop — music
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pop — to visit
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. fork — in a road
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — an amount
  22. snap — to click
  23. bank — for money
  24. rock — 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