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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. can — to be able to
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — temperature
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. cue — a hint
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. can — a tin
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. degree — an amount
  14. scale — size or range
  15. dip — to sink
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. can — a tin
  18. scale — in music
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cue — for pool
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. cue — a signal
  23. wake — a trail
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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