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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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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: lean · ball · degree · leaves · mine · mark · saw · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ball — a great time
  4. mine — for digging
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. mark — a grade
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. degree — an amount
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. ball — a dance
  13. degree — temperature
  14. cue — a signal
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. degree — from a university
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. cue — a hint
  22. mark — a trace
  23. lean — to bend
  24. saw — the tool

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