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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: pitch · cue · degree · swing · fine · cap · wake · bowl

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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 — a signal
  2. degree — from a university
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pitch — completely
  6. swing — music
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. swing — to play on
  10. degree — an amount
  11. cap — of ice
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. swing — in golf
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. degree — temperature
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. wake — a trail
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bowl — a dish
  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