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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.

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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: fall · leaves · cue · kick · bat · degree · season · squash

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. degree — temperature
  6. kick — in football
  7. squash — the sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. degree — an amount
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. fall — to drop
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. cue — for pool
  16. season — in sport
  17. fall — to drop
  18. degree — from a university
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bat — the animal
  24. fall — the season

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