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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: dip · spring · mug · ground · mouse · club · degree · ruler

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. degree — an amount
  4. spring — of water
  5. mug — to rob
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. club — for dancing
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. degree — from a university
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ground — crushed
  16. mug — a face
  17. spring — a coil
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. spring — the season
  20. degree — temperature
  21. ground — a position
  22. club — a group
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. club — for golf

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