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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: bear · mate · stick · mug · degree · deal · pass · fan

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. degree — an amount
  8. mate — a partner
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bear — the animal
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pass — a permit
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mug — a face
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bear — the animal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mug — a cup
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — temperature
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pass — to spend 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