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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. fork — in a road
  3. degree — from a university
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. squash — the sport
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. squash — to crush
  11. kick — in football
  12. perch — the fish
  13. toast — bread
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — for sport
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. degree — an amount
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. degree — temperature
  23. court — of law
  24. fork — to eat with

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