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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. squash — to crush
  3. staff — employees
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. degree — from a university
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cue — for pool
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. cue — a signal
  13. degree — temperature
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. squash — the sport
  16. degree — an amount
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cue — a hint
  19. staff — employees
  20. band — a ring
  21. mine — for digging
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. band — a music group
  24. pitcher — in baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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