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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 120 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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. degree — from a university
  5. squash — to crush
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stem — to come from
  8. track — a path
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. track — to keep track
  11. fine — all right
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. cue — a hint
  16. track — a song
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cue — a signal
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — an amount
  22. cue — for pool
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bear — to put up with

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