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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: squash · pop · toast · ground · degree · snap · mouse · track

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. pop — music
  4. snap — to click
  5. squash — the sport
  6. track — a song
  7. ground — a position
  8. pop — to visit
  9. degree — temperature
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. squash — to crush
  13. ground — the earth
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. track — a path
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. degree — from a university
  20. toast — bread
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. degree — an amount
  24. track — to keep track

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