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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: hide · cap · stand · deal · degree · cue · last · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. last — to go on
  8. degree — from a university
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mark — a trace
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. cap — of ice
  14. stand — to bear
  15. last — final
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cue — a signal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. cap — a lid
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — an amount
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. cap — a hat
  24. last — finally

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