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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: straw · fan · ball · cap · club · mug · mouse · degree

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. degree — temperature
  3. club — a group
  4. mug — a cup
  5. degree — an amount
  6. ball — a great time
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. club — for dancing
  13. degree — from a university
  14. ball — a dance
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. club — for golf
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mug — a face
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mug — to rob
  24. straw — a straw man

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