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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. squash — the sport
  3. charge — a price
  4. degree — temperature
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. degree — from a university
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. suit — in cards
  9. squash — to crush
  10. suit — clothes
  11. last — finally
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. ground — crushed
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ground — the earth
  16. charge — in control
  17. degree — an amount
  18. charge — electricity
  19. last — final
  20. last — to go on
  21. ground — a position
  22. deal — to handle
  23. perch — the fish
  24. deal — a big deal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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