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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. suit — in cards
  3. degree — from a university
  4. mug — to rob
  5. degree — temperature
  6. mug — a face
  7. squash — to crush
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bass — low music
  10. mug — a cup
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a line
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. date — the fruit
  15. squash — the sport
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bass — the fish
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. fine — all right
  21. suit — clothes
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. date — on the calendar

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