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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.

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: mug · degree · object · present · staff · wake · pound · racket

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. staff — employees
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. staff — employees
  7. mug — to rob
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mug — a face
  10. degree — temperature
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. object — a thing
  13. degree — an amount
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. staff — a stick
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mug — a cup
  18. present — a gift
  19. wake — a trail
  20. degree — from a university
  21. object — to protest
  22. present — there
  23. object — an aim
  24. pound — a weight

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