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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 116 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: tube · calf · sharp · bore · cue · rule · degree · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. degree — from a university
  7. tube — the underground
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bore — to drill
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bore — to tire
  15. cue — a signal
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bass — the fish
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. degree — temperature
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — a container
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — a law

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