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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: mouse · bear · degree · cue · wave · cell

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cell — in biology
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. cue — a signal
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cue — a hint
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cell — a phone
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — an amount

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