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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: cue · wake · chip · toast · degree · rock · fan · safe

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  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. toast — a drink to someone
  2. chip — to eat
  3. rock — a stone
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. degree — temperature
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. cue — a hint
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. degree — from a university
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rock — music
  13. toast — bread
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. wake — a trail
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. chip — for betting
  19. cue — a signal
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. cue — for pool
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. fan — a supporter
  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