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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. mug — to rob
  3. squash — to crush
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. degree — temperature
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wound — an injury
  19. degree — from a university
  20. mug — a cup
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. degree — an amount
  24. mug — a face

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