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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 120 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: degree · mark · wake · nail · mouse · dip · sharp · court

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. court — for sport
  3. wake — a trail
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. degree — from a university
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mark — a grade
  9. degree — temperature
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. court — of a king
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. court — of law
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. degree — an amount
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. mark — a trace
  23. dip — to sink
  24. mouse — the animal

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