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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 120 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: mouse · cue · degree · tear · cell · rash · mug · club

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. club — for dancing
  3. degree — an amount
  4. cue — a hint
  5. mug — a face
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. club — a group
  12. rash — a series
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mug — to rob
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — temperature
  18. tear — to rip
  19. cue — a signal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. club — for golf
  24. cell — a phone

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