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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 116 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. degree — temperature
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. rash — hasty
  6. ground — crushed
  7. squash — the sport
  8. fine — all right
  9. ground — a position
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rush — hurry
  14. fine — high quality
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — an amount
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. present — there
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. squash — to crush
  23. present — a gift
  24. rash — a series

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