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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. face — part of the head
  4. object — a thing
  5. cue — for pool
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — temperature
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. object — to protest
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. roll — a cake
  12. cue — a signal
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. degree — an amount
  16. object — an aim
  17. face — to confront
  18. cue — a hint
  19. face — to point toward
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. mark — a trace
  23. roll — a list
  24. ball — a great time

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