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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bear — the animal
  4. degree — an amount
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bear — the animal
  7. net — for catching
  8. degree — from a university
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. spell — magic
  16. degree — temperature
  17. net — in sport
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. net — after costs
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — letters

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