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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. degree — temperature
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mark — a grade
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mark — a trace
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. degree — an amount
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. game — wild animals
  23. degree — from a university
  24. game — a match

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