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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. degree — temperature
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cue — a signal
  9. degree — an amount
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. current — happening now
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. degree — from a university
  16. squash — the sport
  17. current — electric
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ball — a dance
  20. cue — a hint
  21. current — of water
  22. cue — for pool
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — to eat

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