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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rest — what's left
  4. game — a match
  5. plane — a tool
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. degree — an amount
  10. mug — to rob
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. degree — temperature
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mug — a face
  18. rest — a break
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. degree — from a university
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. mouse — the animal

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