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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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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: pass · perch · stick · cue · bank · cell · nail · degree

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bank — for money
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. perch — the fish
  5. cue — a hint
  6. degree — an amount
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bank — for money
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. degree — temperature
  16. cell — in biology
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pass — a permit
  20. cue — a signal
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cell — a phone
  24. perch — for a bird

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