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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. perch — the fish
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bulb — for light
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bulb — for light
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. degree — temperature
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. degree — from a university
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. degree — an amount
  24. perch — for a bird

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