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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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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: fine · arm · dip · cue · root · board · degree · wind

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. root — of a plant
  4. fine — high quality
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. fine — all right
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. cue — for pool
  13. dip — to sink
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. degree — temperature
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a word
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. degree — from a university
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. cue — a signal
  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