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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: mark · last · cue · swing · degree · fork · bound · stand

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. mark — a grade
  3. cue — a hint
  4. swing — music
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bound — certain
  7. last — to go on
  8. swing — in golf
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. degree — from a university
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. mark — a trace
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. swing — to play on
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — to bear
  24. last — finally

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