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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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468
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 · racket · mate · club · squash · spell · cabinet · degree

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. spell — magic
  3. cue — a hint
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. degree — temperature
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cue — for pool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — to breed
  15. degree — from a university
  16. spell — letters
  17. degree — an amount
  18. mate — a friend
  19. cue — a signal
  20. squash — to crush
  21. club — for golf
  22. squash — the sport
  23. club — for dancing
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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