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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: wave · mouse · cabinet · degree · arm · rush · pop · pound

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pop — music
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. degree — from a university
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pop — to visit
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. degree — temperature
  20. rush — hurry
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pop — soda

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