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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. roll — a list
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. firm — decided
  6. ball — a dance
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cue — a signal
  10. firm — steady
  11. roll — a cake
  12. stand — to bear
  13. degree — temperature
  14. firm — a company
  15. degree — from a university
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ball — a great time
  19. degree — an amount
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. cue — for pool

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