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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. roll — a list
  4. cue — for pool
  5. degree — an amount
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. face — to confront
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. cue — a hint
  11. face — to point toward
  12. roll — a cake
  13. pop — music
  14. pass — a permit
  15. tube — a container
  16. pop — to visit
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pop — soda
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. degree — temperature
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. face — part of the head
  23. tube — the underground
  24. cue — a signal

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