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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
468
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: deal · degree · jam · race · mug · cabinet · wax · ball

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. deal — to handle
  3. degree — an amount
  4. mug — a cup
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. degree — temperature
  10. mug — to rob
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. degree — from a university
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. ball — a dance
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mug — a face
  19. wax — to grow
  20. race — a contest
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — humankind
  24. ball — a great time

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