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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 120 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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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: bay · deal · pound · mug · degree · mate · tube · rule

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. degree — temperature
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — from a university
  10. deal — to handle
  11. rule — a law
  12. mug — to rob
  13. rule — government
  14. mug — a face
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. tube — a container
  20. pound — a weight
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — for dogs

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