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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  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. pass — to spend time
  3. band — a music group
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. band — a ring
  6. object — to protest
  7. club — for dancing
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — a thing
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for golf
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pass — a permit
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. cue — a signal
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — temperature
  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