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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cabinet · club · cue · tube · saw · degree · key · hide

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. degree — from a university
  3. key — in music
  4. tube — a container
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. club — for dancing
  7. key — the most important part
  8. saw — the tool
  9. tube — the underground
  10. key — for a lock
  11. club — for golf
  12. cue — a signal
  13. degree — temperature
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. degree — an amount
  19. saw — the tool
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. club — a group
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. tube — in a tire

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