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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. squash — the sport
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. stand — to bear
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. mark — a trace
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — an amount
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. foot — a measure
  19. degree — temperature
  20. mark — a grade
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. pound — a weight
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. straw — dry grass

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