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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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. cue — for pool
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — low music
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. lean — thin
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. degree — from a university
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lean — to bend

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