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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: mine · suit · mark · wax · degree · track · mate · roll

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. mark — a trace
  3. suit — in cards
  4. degree — an amount
  5. track — to keep track
  6. roll — a list
  7. wax — to grow
  8. track — a song
  9. roll — a cake
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mine — for digging
  12. degree — temperature
  13. suit — to fit
  14. track — a path
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. degree — from a university
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mine — an explosive

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