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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pop — music
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pop — soda
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pop — to visit
  10. degree — from a university
  11. scale — in music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — temperature
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. scale — size or range
  24. leaves — lets stay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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