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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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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: dip · bowl · bat · deal · kick · degree · suit · wake

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. wake — a trail
  3. degree — an amount
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. suit — in cards
  11. dip — to sink
  12. degree — temperature
  13. deal — to handle
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. kick — in football
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bowl — a football final

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