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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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468
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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. scale — in music
  3. kick — in football
  4. rash — a series
  5. scale — size or range
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. degree — temperature
  8. squash — to crush
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — an amount
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. stand — to bear
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. swing — in golf
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. swing — to play on
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. squash — the sport
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — on the skin

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