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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: degree · season · squash · present · cue · cap · mate · hide

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. cap — a hat
  3. present — there
  4. cue — for pool
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — a signal
  8. degree — temperature
  9. season — in sport
  10. degree — from a university
  11. present — a gift
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — to breed
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — of the year
  16. cap — of ice
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mate — a friend
  20. degree — an amount
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. cap — a lid
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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