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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: rule · calf · leaves · fan · degree · coach · toast · cue

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — bread
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rule — government
  18. degree — temperature
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. cue — for pool
  22. degree — an amount
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rule — a law

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