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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: march · scale · mark · season · degree · wake · fan · cue

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mark — a grade
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. march — music
  8. season — of the year
  9. cue — a signal
  10. degree — from a university
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. scale — in music
  13. degree — an amount
  14. scale — size or range
  15. march — the month
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. march — the month
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. degree — temperature
  21. cue — a hint
  22. season — in sport
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. wake — a trail

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