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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.

Make a worksheet

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: degree · mark · dip · cue · fine · bass · mouse · wave

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fine — all right
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bass — low music
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bass — the fish
  12. cue — for pool
  13. degree — temperature
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. mark — a grade
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — an amount
  21. mark — a trace
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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