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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: cue · club · bound · bay · deal · board · shower · degree

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. cue — a hint
  4. shower — rain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. board — a committee
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. deal — to handle
  11. degree — an amount
  12. cue — a signal
  13. degree — from a university
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. club — a group
  17. bound — certain
  18. board — to get on
  19. club — for dancing
  20. cue — for pool
  21. club — for golf
  22. degree — temperature
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bound — tied together

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