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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 120 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 · kick · degree · ground · vault · patient · track · fine

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. ground — the earth
  3. degree — an amount
  4. fine — all right
  5. vault — a safe
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. track — to keep track
  10. cue — a signal
  11. degree — from a university
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. ground — crushed
  14. degree — temperature
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. ground — a position
  19. kick — in football
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. track — a path
  22. cue — a hint
  23. track — a song
  24. fine — high quality

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