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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: track · degree · mug · mark · band · present · wax · staff

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. degree — from a university
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mug — a cup
  5. staff — employees
  6. present — there
  7. mark — a trace
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wax — to grow
  10. staff — employees
  11. present — the time now
  12. degree — temperature
  13. staff — a stick
  14. mug — a face
  15. band — a ring
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. track — a path
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. present — a gift
  20. track — a song
  21. mug — to rob
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. degree — an amount

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