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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · bowl · bear · degree · pitch · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bear — the animal
  7. degree — temperature
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — an amount
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. squash — the sport

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