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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. degree — temperature
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. club — for golf
  5. kid — child
  6. club — for dancing
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. squash — to crush
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. kid — to tease
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. degree — an amount
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a great time
  21. branch — a division
  22. squash — the sport
  23. ball — a dance
  24. degree — from a university

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