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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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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. degree — from a university
  3. chip — to eat
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — temperature
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. squash — the sport
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rush — hurry
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. roll — a list
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — on a roll

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