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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. degree — temperature
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. degree — an amount
  7. wound — an injury
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. degree — from a university
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. drill — army training
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. rush — hurry
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wound — an injury

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