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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. face — to point toward
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — temperature
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. scale — in music
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. degree — from a university
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. squash — the sport
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. spring — the season
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. spring — a coil
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. face — part of the head
  21. spring — of water
  22. squash — to crush
  23. face — to confront
  24. scale — size or range

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