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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. bear — the animal
  3. present — a gift
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. present — the time now
  8. mug — a cup
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. mug — a face
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. mug — to rob
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cue — for pool
  19. present — there
  20. bear — the animal
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. dip — to sink
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — from a university

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