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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 120 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. drill — a practice
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. degree — temperature
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. drill — army training
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. squash — to crush
  21. drill — the tool
  22. degree — an amount
  23. squash — the sport
  24. degree — from a university

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