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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — a signal
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. ball — a dance
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — an amount
  8. ball — a great time
  9. suit — in cards
  10. prune — to trim
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. prune — to trim
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. cue — for pool
  16. sharp — clever
  17. shower — to wash
  18. degree — from a university
  19. suit — clothes
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. suit — to fit
  24. sharp — exactly

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