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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: pit · degree · bowl · club · mug · wave

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. mug — a face
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. club — for dancing
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pit — a hole
  14. degree — an amount
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. mug — a cup
  17. club — for golf
  18. pit — in a race

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