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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: cap · chip · rush · jam · degree · pitch · ball · squash

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. degree — an amount
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. cap — a hat
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. squash — the sport
  8. cap — a lid
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. pitch — completely
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. cap — of ice
  13. rush — hurry
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. squash — to crush
  16. degree — from a university
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. chip — for betting
  22. degree — temperature
  23. ball — a great time
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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