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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. cue — a signal
  4. toast — bread
  5. suit — in cards
  6. cue — a hint
  7. mate — a friend
  8. suit — clothes
  9. cue — for pool
  10. chip — for betting
  11. spell — a short time
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. degree — from a university
  14. chip — to eat
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. mate — a partner
  17. suit — to fit
  18. degree — an amount
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. mate — to breed
  21. spell — magic
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — to come from
  24. degree — temperature

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