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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · cue · bowl · coach · lie · charge · can · arm

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. can — to be able to
  3. cue — for pool
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cue — a hint
  11. degree — an amount
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. can — a tin
  14. charge — a price
  15. can — a tin
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. lie — to recline
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. degree — temperature
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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