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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: spell · mug · degree · cue · trunk · wake · current · bat

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. current — electric
  3. degree — an amount
  4. cue — for pool
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. degree — from a university
  8. mug — a face
  9. bat — the animal
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. mug — to rob
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. current — of water
  18. wake — a trail
  19. spell — a short time
  20. cue — a hint
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cue — a signal
  24. current — happening now

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