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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 · fan · land · mouse · pitcher · lie · shower · degree

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — an amount
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. shower — rain
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. land — a country
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. land — ground
  22. land — to come down
  23. shower — to wash
  24. degree — from a university

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