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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
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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: club · wake · mark · degree · object · mouse · net · cabinet

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. degree — an amount
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. degree — temperature
  7. wake — a trail
  8. net — in sport
  9. mark — a trace
  10. net — after costs
  11. object — a thing
  12. club — a group
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. net — for catching
  17. club — for dancing
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. club — for golf
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. object — to protest
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. object — an aim
  24. mouse — the animal

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