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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: mouse · racket · pound · mine · degree · jam · staff · tube

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. degree — from a university
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. staff — employees
  9. pound — a weight
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. degree — an amount
  17. tube — a container
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. degree — temperature
  20. mine — for digging
  21. tube — the underground
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. mine — belonging to me

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