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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: rush · cabinet · mug · cue · present · degree · ball · stand

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. degree — an amount
  5. ball — a great time
  6. cue — for pool
  7. mug — a face
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. present — a gift
  11. cue — a hint
  12. rush — hurry
  13. present — the time now
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — to rob
  18. degree — temperature
  19. stand — to bear
  20. cue — a signal
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. degree — from a university
  24. rush — to hurry

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