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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 · arm · pass · cue · band · last · stock · date

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. degree — from a university
  5. last — final
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pass — a permit
  8. date — the fruit
  9. degree — temperature
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. degree — an amount
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. last — finally
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. band — a music group
  20. stock — goods
  21. cue — a signal
  22. band — a ring
  23. last — to go on
  24. stock — shares

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