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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. degree — an amount
  3. cue — a hint
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. rest — a break
  6. cue — a signal
  7. track — a song
  8. suit — to fit
  9. cue — for pool
  10. tube — a container
  11. suit — in cards
  12. degree — temperature
  13. suit — clothes
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pop — soda
  16. track — a path
  17. degree — from a university
  18. pop — music
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pitcher — a jug

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