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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. degree — temperature
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. degree — from a university
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pop — to visit
  14. track — a path
  15. degree — an amount
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — to wash
  18. track — a song
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. track — to keep track
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — music

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