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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. squash — the sport
  3. degree — an amount
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. squash — to crush
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rash — hasty
  11. mark — a trace
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cue — for pool
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. perch — the fish
  21. degree — temperature
  22. cue — a signal
  23. rush — hurry
  24. perch — for a bird

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