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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. squash — the sport
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. degree — an amount
  8. squash — to crush
  9. kid — to tease
  10. row — to paddle
  11. ball — a great time
  12. degree — from a university
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. degree — temperature
  18. rock — a stone
  19. key — the most important part
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. key — in music
  23. kid — child
  24. suit — clothes

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