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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. cue — a signal
  3. object — a thing
  4. mark — a trace
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. foot — a measure
  9. degree — temperature
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — child
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. degree — from a university
  14. object — an aim
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — a stone
  18. mark — a grade
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. cue — for pool
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cue — a hint
  23. object — to protest
  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