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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: degree · lie · cue · staff · board · chair · ball · spring

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. staff — employees
  6. cue — for pool
  7. ball — a dance
  8. spring — a coil
  9. board — a committee
  10. ball — a great time
  11. degree — temperature
  12. staff — a stick
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. cue — a signal
  16. degree — from a university
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. staff — employees
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. spring — of water
  23. cue — a hint
  24. degree — an amount

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