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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. chip — for betting
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. season — in sport
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. season — of the year
  13. can — a tin
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. can — to be able to
  17. degree — temperature
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. can — a tin
  20. degree — from a university
  21. chip — to eat
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bowl — a football final

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