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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: cap · mug · can · racket · degree · spell · object · snap

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. spell — letters
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to click
  6. object — an aim
  7. cap — a lid
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. object — to protest
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. object — a thing
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a cup
  17. can — to be able to
  18. spell — magic
  19. degree — an amount
  20. can — a tin
  21. degree — from a university
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mug — a face
  24. can — a tin

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