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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. rock — a stone
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. clip — for paper
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. degree — an amount
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. mark — a grade
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. clip — to cut
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. rock — music
  18. mark — a trace
  19. clip — a video
  20. degree — from a university
  21. capital — a city
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. capital — money

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