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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lean · cold · root · cue · pop · scale · suit · degree

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. cue — a signal
  5. scale — in music
  6. suit — clothes
  7. scale — size or range
  8. cue — a hint
  9. degree — temperature
  10. root — of a word
  11. lean — to bend
  12. degree — from a university
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cold — an illness
  16. suit — in cards
  17. root — of a plant
  18. degree — an amount
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. lean — thin
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. root — the cause
  23. pop — music
  24. lean — to rest against

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