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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: swing · rule · degree · cue · mug · arm · cell · rash

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rule — government
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. degree — from a university
  10. rash — hasty
  11. swing — in golf
  12. degree — an amount
  13. swing — to play on
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. rash — a series
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. swing — music
  19. mug — a face
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — a phone
  22. rule — a law
  23. cue — a signal
  24. degree — temperature

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