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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. degree — temperature
  3. squash — the sport
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — a signal
  6. degree — from a university
  7. cue — for pool
  8. firm — a company
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. firm — steady
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. firm — decided
  13. mate — a partner
  14. squash — to crush
  15. spring — of water
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. mate — a friend
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. ball — a dance
  21. deal — to handle
  22. mate — to breed
  23. ball — a great time
  24. degree — an amount

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