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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bass — low music
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. degree — an amount
  6. current — of water
  7. squash — to crush
  8. ball — a great time
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. degree — from a university
  13. ball — a dance
  14. stand — to bear
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. squash — the sport
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — of a tree

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