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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pound — a weight
  5. squash — the sport
  6. degree — from a university
  7. suit — in cards
  8. rule — government
  9. bark — to shout
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. rule — a law
  12. spell — letters
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. spell — magic
  16. degree — an amount
  17. spell — a short time
  18. degree — temperature
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. suit — to fit

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