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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
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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: key · squash · cue · pitcher · degree · can · tube · march

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. can — a tin
  7. degree — temperature
  8. key — the most important part
  9. squash — to crush
  10. can — a tin
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. degree — from a university
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. cue — a hint
  17. tube — a container
  18. can — to be able to
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. key — in music
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. squash — the sport
  23. tube — the underground
  24. march — music

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