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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. field — a subject
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. degree — an amount
  5. field — for sport
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. squash — the sport
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. field — farmland
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. cue — a hint
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. squash — to crush
  19. degree — from a university
  20. cue — a signal
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. cue — for pool

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