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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — temperature
  6. pitch — completely
  7. club — for dancing
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stem — to come from
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. degree — from a university
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. club — a group
  15. rest — a break
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. cue — for pool
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. club — for golf
  24. cue — a hint

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