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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: jam · sharp · degree · cue · game · ball · swing · trunk

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. degree — an amount
  7. ball — a dance
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. sharp — clever
  10. cue — a hint
  11. game — a match
  12. degree — from a university
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. swing — to play on
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. ball — a great time
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — wild animals
  24. trunk — of a tree

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