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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 120 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: cue · wind · bay · board · mouse · cap · degree · bowl

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cue — for pool
  4. degree — from a university
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — a hat
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. board — a committee
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. cue — a signal
  12. board — to get on
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cue — a hint
  20. wind — moving air
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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