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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 · degree · content · fan · bass · suit · coach · staff

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. suit — clothes
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. staff — employees
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. content — happy
  13. content — the amount
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — temperature
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. staff — a stick
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. staff — employees
  22. suit — to fit
  23. cue — a hint
  24. suit — in cards

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