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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 · face · track · degree · wake · toast · net · jam

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — an amount
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. net — after costs
  6. wake — a trail
  7. face — part of the head
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. mug — a face
  10. face — to point toward
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. net — in sport
  13. toast — bread
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. net — for catching
  16. track — a path
  17. face — to confront
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. track — to keep track
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. mug — to rob
  23. track — a song
  24. degree — from a university

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