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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  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 hint
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. ground — the earth
  5. degree — from a university
  6. cap — of ice
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rest — a break
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mark — a grade
  15. ground — a position
  16. press — to push
  17. degree — temperature
  18. press — a publisher
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rest — what's left
  21. press — newspapers
  22. mark — a trace
  23. temple — side of the head
  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