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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: craft · hide · cue · squash · charge · bowl · degree · bat

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cue — a hint
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. degree — from a university
  9. charge — in control
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. squash — the sport
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. cue — for pool
  20. craft — boats
  21. squash — to crush
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — an amount

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