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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: saw · racket · nail · fall · degree · perch · cue · staff

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fall — the season
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. staff — employees
  6. cue — a hint
  7. perch — the fish
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. staff — a stick
  12. degree — from a university
  13. cue — a signal
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. staff — employees
  17. degree — an amount
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. degree — temperature
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. saw — the tool
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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