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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cap — of ice
  3. squash — the sport
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — an amount
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. deal — to handle
  15. plane — a tool
  16. cap — a hat
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. squash — to crush
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. degree — temperature
  23. cap — a lid
  24. mouse — the animal

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