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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: deal · wax · cue · object · degree · mark · mug · track

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — to protest
  3. wax — to grow
  4. track — to keep track
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. object — an aim
  9. mug — a cup
  10. cue — a signal
  11. mark — a grade
  12. cue — a hint
  13. track — a song
  14. mug — to rob
  15. track — a path
  16. cue — for pool
  17. degree — an amount
  18. mark — a trace
  19. degree — temperature
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. degree — from a university
  23. mug — a face
  24. wax — for sculpting

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