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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: bowl · tube · roll · cue · toast · temple · march · degree

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. degree — from a university
  5. march — the month
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. roll — a cake
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. cue — a hint
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. degree — temperature
  13. toast — bread
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. degree — an amount
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. roll — a list
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bowl — a dish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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