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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: ruler · net · face · prune · mouse · degree · mug · current

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — to rob
  4. face — to confront
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. face — to point toward
  7. net — for catching
  8. degree — from a university
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. prune — to trim
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mug — a cup
  13. current — of water
  14. degree — an amount
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. current — happening now
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. face — part of the head
  20. degree — temperature
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. current — electric
  24. prune — the fruit

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