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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. cue — for pool
  4. face — part of the head
  5. degree — temperature
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bank — for money
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bank — for money
  14. bulb — for light
  15. degree — from a university
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. face — to point toward
  18. cue — a signal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bank — of a river
  21. face — to confront
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. coach — a trainer

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