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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · mug · mouse · bowl · board · roll · degree · trunk

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. mug — a face
  3. board — a committee
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. degree — temperature
  8. roll — a list
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. degree — from a university
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mug — a cup
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. board — to get on

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