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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 120 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — temperature
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. degree — from a university
  6. ball — a great time
  7. fall — the season
  8. bear — the animal
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. fall — to drop
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bass — the fish
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. kick — in football
  20. cue — a hint
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bass — low music
  24. bear — to put up with

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