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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: cue · mug · degree · foot · object · wound · bowl · straw

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mug — a face
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. mug — a cup
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. degree — temperature
  8. object — an aim
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. wound — an injury
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. object — a thing
  14. wound — an injury
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. cue — a signal
  17. foot — a measure
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. mug — to rob
  23. object — to protest
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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