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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 116 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. key — the most important part
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bank — of a river
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bass — low music
  9. key — in music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. cue — a hint
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. rule — a law
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. cue — a signal
  19. rule — government
  20. bank — for money
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bank — for money
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to click

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