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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. degree — from a university
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. squash — to crush
  8. track — a path
  9. drill — army training
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. chip — to eat
  12. track — a song
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. chip — for betting
  17. degree — an amount
  18. squash — the sport
  19. degree — temperature
  20. track — to keep track
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. calf — a young animal

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