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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. degree — temperature
  3. staff — employees
  4. present — the time now
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. cue — for pool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. spring — a coil
  9. present — there
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. spring — of water
  13. fork — in a road
  14. present — a gift
  15. spring — the season
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. kick — in football
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cue — a hint
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — an amount

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