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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. cue — a signal
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. hand — in cards
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — temperature
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. charge — electricity
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. cue — a hint
  12. scale — in music
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — help
  15. ball — a great time
  16. scale — size or range
  17. tear — from crying
  18. charge — in control
  19. cue — for pool
  20. stand — to bear
  21. charge — a price
  22. tear — from crying
  23. degree — an amount
  24. ball — a dance

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