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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 · pass · mine · degree · deal · stand · spring · fork

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. pass — a permit
  3. cue — for pool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. degree — an amount
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. spring — the season
  10. cue — a hint
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. cue — a signal
  15. degree — temperature
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. spring — a coil
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mine — for digging
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. fork — in a road
  22. deal — to handle
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. pass — to succeed

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