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

Word bank: degree · cue · rule · object · swing · pit

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. rule — a law
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. swing — music
  6. rule — government
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. swing — to play on
  9. degree — from a university
  10. object — a thing
  11. degree — temperature
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. object — an aim
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. cue — a hint
  17. object — to protest
  18. degree — an amount

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