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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: pop · mouse · cue · bat · court · pass · degree · hand

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pop — soda
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. pop — music
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pop — to visit
  16. court — of law
  17. hand — help
  18. cue — a signal
  19. degree — an amount
  20. hand — in cards
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bat — the animal

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