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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: tear · race · mouse · degree · mug · cue

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mug — to rob
  3. tear — from crying
  4. race — a contest
  5. degree — temperature
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. degree — an amount
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mug — a cup
  11. race — the arms race
  12. cue — a signal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. tear — to rip
  15. race — humankind
  16. degree — from a university
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mug — a face

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