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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: bulb · ball · degree · pop · squash · toast · file · hide

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. 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. ball — a round shape
  2. file — a line of people
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — music
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bulb — for light
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. file — a document
  12. toast — bread
  13. degree — from a university
  14. pop — to visit
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ball — a dance
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. file — a tool
  20. ball — a great time
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bulb — for light
  24. 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