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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 116 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — from a university
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. squash — to crush
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. chip — for betting
  13. staff — employees
  14. degree — temperature
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. saw — the tool
  18. suit — to fit
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. squash — the sport
  22. staff — a stick
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. staff — employees

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