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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: mark · root · degree · last · club · fine · mug · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. last — to go on
  3. degree — an amount
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mug — a cup
  7. club — for golf
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. scale — size or range
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. mug — a face
  13. last — finally
  14. scale — in music
  15. fine — high quality
  16. degree — from a university
  17. last — final
  18. root — the cause
  19. club — a group
  20. degree — temperature
  21. mug — to rob
  22. fine — all right
  23. club — for dancing
  24. mark — a grade

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