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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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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: cue · patient · mug · foot · degree · dip · suit · cap

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. cap — a lid
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. suit — clothes
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. mug — to rob
  7. degree — an amount
  8. cue — for pool
  9. degree — temperature
  10. cue — a hint
  11. mug — a face
  12. degree — from a university
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. dip — to sink
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. suit — to fit
  17. mug — a cup
  18. suit — in cards
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. foot — a measure

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