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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: nail · club · suit · rule · mark · degree · ball · mug

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. club — a group
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. degree — an amount
  8. club — for golf
  9. suit — clothes
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mug — to rob
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. degree — from a university
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — government
  17. degree — temperature
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. suit — to fit
  20. mug — a face
  21. club — for dancing
  22. suit — in cards
  23. ball — a great time
  24. mug — a cup

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