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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: wake · degree · mouse · staff · pass · current · cabinet · roll

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. wake — a trail
  8. current — of water
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. roll — a list
  12. staff — employees
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. roll — a cake
  15. current — electric
  16. degree — temperature
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. current — happening now
  19. staff — employees
  20. degree — an amount
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. degree — from a university
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. staff — a stick

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