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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.

Words on the sheet
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: deal · cue · degree · rock · cabinet · sharp · present · bat

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. present — there
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. deal — to handle
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. degree — temperature
  7. cue — for pool
  8. degree — an amount
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. rock — music
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. degree — from a university
  17. cue — a hint
  18. present — a gift
  19. cue — a signal
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. present — the time now
  23. bat — the animal
  24. rock — a stone

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