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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: bark · cue · degree · lean · pass · mouse · mug · can

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. mug — a face
  11. degree — temperature
  12. pass — a permit
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. can — to be able to
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. can — a tin
  18. degree — an amount
  19. can — a tin
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bark — to shout
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. cue — a signal
  24. mouse — the animal

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