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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 116 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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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: degree · mug · pit · face · key · march · wound · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. degree — an amount
  3. key — in music
  4. mug — a cup
  5. face — to point toward
  6. degree — temperature
  7. mug — a face
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cue — a signal
  10. degree — from a university
  11. march — the month
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mug — to rob
  14. key — for a lock
  15. march — music
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pit — in a race
  20. wound — an injury
  21. march — the month
  22. face — to confront
  23. pit — a hole
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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