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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: wave · mug · degree · kid · cue · track · perch · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. cue — a hint
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — temperature
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — a face
  9. cue — a signal
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. cue — for pool
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. track — a path
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. track — to keep track
  18. kid — to tease
  19. sharp — clever
  20. track — a song
  21. mug — to rob
  22. degree — from a university
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. kid — child

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