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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. ball — a great time
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. firm — decided
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. degree — from a university
  8. dip — to sink
  9. season — of the year
  10. degree — an amount
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. firm — steady
  15. row — to paddle
  16. firm — a company
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. row — a line
  23. season — in sport
  24. degree — temperature

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