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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 116 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 · game · pitcher · hand · can · degree · mouse · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. degree — temperature
  3. can — a tin
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. degree — an amount
  8. tube — a container
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. mug — a face
  11. degree — from a university
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mug — a cup
  17. game — a match
  18. game — wild animals
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mug — to rob
  21. can — a tin
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — in cards
  24. can — to be able to

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