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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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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: firm · degree · fall · cell · pop · cue · bay · season

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. fall — the season
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pop — soda
  6. cue — a hint
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cue — for pool
  9. fall — to drop
  10. season — of the year
  11. firm — a company
  12. cell — a phone
  13. season — in sport
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — an amount
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. pop — music
  19. degree — from a university
  20. pop — to visit
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — decided
  23. cell — in biology
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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