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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: snap · suit · can · degree · club · nail · tube · mark

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. mark — a grade
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. club — a group
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. tube — the underground
  7. degree — temperature
  8. can — to be able to
  9. club — for dancing
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. tube — a container
  12. suit — to fit
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to click
  15. degree — an amount
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. suit — clothes
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. suit — in cards
  21. club — for golf
  22. mark — a trace
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. nail — for a hammer

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