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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. kick — in football
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. saw — the tool
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. degree — from a university
  11. rash — hasty
  12. scale — size or range
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. scale — in music
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. saw — the tool
  24. degree — an amount

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