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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. mug — a cup
  3. firm — a company
  4. content — the amount
  5. firm — decided
  6. cue — a signal
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. firm — steady
  11. cue — a hint
  12. degree — an amount
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. mug — a face
  16. spell — magic
  17. cue — for pool
  18. swing — in golf
  19. content — happy
  20. degree — from a university
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. mug — to rob

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