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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: pitcher · squash · degree · wave · dip · stand · kid · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. dip — to sink
  3. squash — to crush
  4. degree — temperature
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. kid — child
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. degree — an amount
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. squash — the sport
  15. degree — from a university
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. stand — to bear
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. mark — a trace
  23. kid — to tease
  24. mark — to pay attention

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