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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: mug · arm · degree · scale · club · ball · firm · wake

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. club — for dancing
  3. mug — to rob
  4. degree — an amount
  5. mug — a face
  6. wake — a trail
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. ball — a dance
  11. mug — a cup
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. degree — temperature
  14. firm — steady
  15. club — a group
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — in music
  18. degree — from a university
  19. firm — decided
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. firm — a company
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. club — for golf
  24. wake — before a funeral

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