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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: degree · spell · mug · cue · file · cabinet · ball · fork

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. file — a tool
  5. degree — temperature
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mug — a face
  8. cue — for pool
  9. file — a document
  10. spell — letters
  11. ball — a great time
  12. degree — from a university
  13. spell — a short time
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. spell — magic
  17. ball — a dance
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cue — a signal
  20. fork — in a road
  21. file — a line of people
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. degree — an amount
  24. mug — to rob

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