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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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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: saw · staff · rule · sharp · foot · suit · cue · degree

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. sharp — clever
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rule — a law
  8. suit — clothes
  9. foot — a measure
  10. degree — from a university
  11. staff — a stick
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. cue — a hint
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. degree — an amount
  19. staff — employees
  20. cue — for pool
  21. rule — government
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. saw — the tool
  24. staff — employees

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