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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: cue · mine · mark · hide · cabinet · degree · fork · racket

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mark — a grade
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — from a university
  7. cue — a signal
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cue — for pool
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. degree — temperature
  20. mine — for digging
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cue — a hint
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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