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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 116 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. degree — an amount
  4. staff — a stick
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. firm — decided
  8. bank — for money
  9. firm — a company
  10. bank — of a river
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — temperature
  13. staff — employees
  14. bank — for money
  15. staff — employees
  16. cell — a phone
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cap — of ice
  21. firm — steady
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cell — in biology

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