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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: squash · cue · march · pop · pass · degree · cap · rule

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pop — soda
  4. rule — a law
  5. march — the month
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. squash — the sport
  10. degree — from a university
  11. squash — to crush
  12. degree — an amount
  13. march — the month
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pop — music
  17. rule — government
  18. march — music
  19. degree — temperature
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cue — for pool
  24. pop — to visit

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