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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pop — music
  3. degree — from a university
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. swing — music
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. degree — temperature
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. swing — to play on
  11. squash — the sport
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pop — to visit
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. degree — an amount
  20. lie — to recline
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pop — soda
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. lash — to lash out

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