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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. degree — from a university
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. club — for golf
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. club — a group
  8. degree — temperature
  9. land — a country
  10. foot — a measure
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. land — ground
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. club — for dancing
  15. squash — the sport
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. degree — an amount
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. toast — bread
  23. land — to come down
  24. squash — to crush

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