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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 · rule · degree · band · safe · mark · mouse · net

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. net — after costs
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. degree — from a university
  8. net — in sport
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rule — a law
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. band — a ring
  16. degree — temperature
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rule — government
  19. mark — a grade
  20. band — a music group
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. net — for catching
  23. mine — for digging
  24. degree — an amount

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