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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: staff · pitcher · lean · toast · wind · mug · track · degree

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. mug — a cup
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — from a university
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lean — to bend
  13. track — a song
  14. mug — a face
  15. lean — thin
  16. track — to keep track
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. mug — to rob
  20. wind — moving air
  21. degree — an amount
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. track — a path
  24. staff — employees

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