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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. degree — an amount
  3. chip — to eat
  4. current — happening now
  5. degree — temperature
  6. spell — a short time
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. current — of water
  10. spell — letters
  11. current — electric
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. chip — for betting
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. squash — to crush
  20. stock — shares
  21. squash — the sport
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. degree — from a university
  24. spell — magic

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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