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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. drill — army training
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. degree — from a university
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. degree — an amount
  8. drill — the tool
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. scale — in music
  17. drill — a practice
  18. mouse — for a computer

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