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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: cue · swing · net · mark · cap · ground · saw · degree

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cap — a lid
  3. ground — a position
  4. swing — music
  5. saw — the tool
  6. ground — crushed
  7. swing — in golf
  8. degree — an amount
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ground — the earth
  12. mark — a grade
  13. net — for catching
  14. degree — temperature
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cap — a hat
  17. degree — from a university
  18. cue — a signal
  19. net — in sport
  20. cap — of ice
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. net — after costs
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cue — a hint

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