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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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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: pitcher · degree · dip · wax · cabinet · hand · mouse · charge

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. degree — temperature
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. dip — to sink
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. degree — an amount
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — in control
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. charge — a price
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. hand — in cards
  22. degree — from a university
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — to grow

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