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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: last · swing · tube · cap · mouse · mug · degree · toast

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. mug — to rob
  3. cap — a lid
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. degree — temperature
  8. last — final
  9. mug — a cup
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. mug — a face
  12. cap — of ice
  13. tube — a container
  14. last — to go on
  15. tube — the underground
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. degree — from a university
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. swing — music
  20. last — finally
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. cap — a hat
  23. swing — to play on
  24. toast — bread

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