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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. sharp — clever
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pop — to visit
  8. dip — to sink
  9. band — a ring
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pop — music
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. band — a music group
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the sport
  21. degree — from a university
  22. pop — soda
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. deal — to handle

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