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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. degree — an amount
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rule — a law
  6. degree — temperature
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. cue — for pool
  14. dip — to sink
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rule — government
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. present — a gift
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. present — there
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. present — the time now

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