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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: tear · pass · hide · cue · degree · club · ball · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. club — for dancing
  3. degree — from a university
  4. tear — from crying
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for golf
  7. tear — to rip
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. cue — a hint
  10. degree — temperature
  11. tear — from crying
  12. degree — an amount
  13. can — a tin
  14. pass — a permit
  15. ball — a dance
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cue — for pool
  19. can — to be able to
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pass — to spend time

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