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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — to fit
  7. degree — temperature
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. clip — to cut
  10. suit — in cards
  11. track — a song
  12. track — a path
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bulb — for light
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — a video
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. ball — a great time
  19. squash — the sport
  20. track — to keep track
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bulb — for light
  23. squash — to crush
  24. ball — a dance

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