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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ground — the earth
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — bread
  5. degree — from a university
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — a face
  9. rock — a stone
  10. hand — help
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. ground — crushed
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. deal — to handle
  17. degree — an amount
  18. mug — to rob
  19. degree — temperature
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. ground — a position
  22. rock — music
  23. ball — a dance
  24. hand — in cards

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