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

Word bank: jam · sharp · cue · object · lash · degree

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. degree — an amount
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cue — for pool
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. cue — a signal
  13. object — to protest
  14. degree — temperature
  15. object — an aim
  16. cue — a hint
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. object — a thing

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