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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  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. row — a line
  3. club — for dancing
  4. squash — the sport
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. club — a group
  7. row — to paddle
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. season — in sport
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. club — for golf
  12. bulb — for light
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bulb — for light
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. season — of the year
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. game — a match
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. degree — an amount
  22. game — wild animals
  23. squash — to crush
  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