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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.

Make a worksheet

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: can · degree · bear · mug · cap · chip · mouse · wake

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. degree — from a university
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bear — the animal
  14. degree — temperature
  15. can — a tin
  16. degree — an amount
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. can — a tin
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mug — to rob
  21. chip — for betting
  22. cap — a hat
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bear — to put up with

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