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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: degree · cue · date · band · lash · toast

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. cue — for pool
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. cue — a signal
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — temperature
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. date — the fruit
  10. cue — a hint
  11. degree — an amount
  12. toast — bread
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired

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