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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: stand · mug · degree · club · racket · lash · wake · cabinet

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. degree — an amount
  4. club — for dancing
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wake — a trail
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. degree — temperature
  12. mug — a face
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mug — to rob
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for golf
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. degree — from a university
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. racket — for tennis

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