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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. suit — to fit
  4. squash — to crush
  5. foot — a measure
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. tube — a container
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. suit — in cards
  11. mate — a partner
  12. squash — the sport
  13. degree — from a university
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rash — a series
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. mate — a friend
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. mate — to breed
  22. degree — an amount
  23. tube — the underground
  24. squash — the vegetable

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