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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 120 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: cue · scale · bore · present · rule · court · pass · degree

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. scale — in music
  3. court — for sport
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. court — of law
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. present — a gift
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. rule — a law
  11. bore — to drill
  12. cue — a hint
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — temperature
  15. present — the time now
  16. rule — government
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cue — a signal
  19. degree — an amount
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. cue — for pool
  23. present — there
  24. court — of a king

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