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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. degree — from a university
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. rock — a stone
  6. roll — a cake
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. chair — a leader
  12. lie — to recline
  13. roll — a list
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. degree — temperature
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. lie — an untruth
  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