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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: kick · game · cabinet · coach · degree · cue · kid · pitcher

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. degree — temperature
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. game — wild animals
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cue — for pool
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cue — a signal
  21. kid — to tease
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. kid — child
  24. game — a match

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