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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 116 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. can — to be able to
  6. cue — for pool
  7. squash — to crush
  8. degree — from a university
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. key — in music
  12. cue — a hint
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. degree — temperature
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bulb — for light
  18. can — a tin
  19. degree — an amount
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. sharp — clever
  22. can — a tin
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cue — a signal

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