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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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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: ball · suit · can · cue · mouse · ground · straw · degree

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. ground — the earth
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. degree — temperature
  6. suit — clothes
  7. degree — an amount
  8. can — a tin
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ground — crushed
  11. degree — from a university
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. suit — to fit
  14. ground — a position
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. can — to be able to
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. suit — in cards
  22. ball — a great time
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. can — a tin

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