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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. mug — to rob
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. degree — an amount
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. toast — bread
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — from a university
  13. mug — a cup
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. scale — size or range
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. kick — in football
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mug — a face
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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