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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bay · suit · degree · content · drill · fan · pitcher

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. suit — clothes
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. degree — temperature
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. degree — from a university
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. drill — army training
  10. content — the amount
  11. degree — an amount
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. drill — the tool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. content — happy
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. drill — a practice
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. suit — in cards

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