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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. degree — from a university
  3. firm — a company
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cap — a lid
  6. swing — music
  7. firm — steady
  8. swing — in golf
  9. cap — a hat
  10. firm — decided
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — to bear
  18. degree — temperature
  19. swing — to play on
  20. cue — a hint
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. degree — an amount
  23. chip — to eat
  24. cap — of ice

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