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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: degree · cue · march · firm · lie · club · pass · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — steady
  4. pass — a permit
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. firm — decided
  7. lie — to recline
  8. club — a group
  9. march — the month
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. club — for golf
  12. cue — for pool
  13. degree — an amount
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. degree — temperature
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. club — for dancing
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. degree — from a university
  24. cue — a signal

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