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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: pound · rush · key · dip · snap · chair · cue · degree

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. key — in music
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. key — the most important part
  6. snap — to click
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. cue — a hint
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. degree — from a university
  13. cue — a signal
  14. degree — an amount
  15. chair — a leader
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pound — a weight
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cue — for pool
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. degree — temperature
  24. chair — a professorship

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