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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
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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: last · cue · staff · club · charge · foot · degree · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. degree — from a university
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. degree — temperature
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. staff — employees
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. staff — a stick
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — a group
  13. last — to go on
  14. foot — a measure
  15. last — final
  16. club — for dancing
  17. charge — in control
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cue — a hint
  20. last — finally
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. degree — an amount
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. staff — employees

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