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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.

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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. foot — a measure
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bass — the fish
  5. squash — the sport
  6. degree — temperature
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — crushed
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — completely
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. rest — what's left
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. degree — an amount
  18. rest — what's left
  19. degree — from a university
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. rest — a break
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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