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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 · sharp · snap · board · pitch · degree · mouse · hide

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. snap — to click
  3. board — to get on
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. degree — temperature
  6. pitch — completely
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cue — a signal
  10. board — a committee
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. degree — from a university
  21. cue — a hint
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. sharp — clever
  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