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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. degree — from a university
  5. drill — the tool
  6. ball — a dance
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. charge — in control
  15. drill — a practice
  16. degree — temperature
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. charge — a price
  20. ball — a great time
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. charge — electricity
  24. squash — the vegetable

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