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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rash — hasty
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. degree — from a university
  6. current — electric
  7. tube — the underground
  8. rash — a series
  9. ground — the earth
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. degree — an amount
  12. squash — to crush
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. firm — a company
  16. degree — temperature
  17. firm — steady
  18. ground — a position
  19. firm — decided
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. ground — crushed
  24. squash — the sport

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