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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. suit — to fit
  4. degree — an amount
  5. ground — the earth
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. ground — a position
  9. degree — temperature
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. suit — clothes
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. suit — in cards
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. degree — from a university

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