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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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Word bank
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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: charge · degree · straw · fine · ground · ball · suit · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. suit — clothes
  3. ball — a great time
  4. degree — from a university
  5. suit — in cards
  6. degree — temperature
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. ground — the earth
  9. charge — in control
  10. suit — to fit
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. squash — to crush
  15. charge — a price
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. charge — electricity
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. squash — the sport
  20. degree — an amount
  21. fine — all right
  22. ball — a dance
  23. fine — high quality
  24. ball — a round shape

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