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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. swing — in golf
  7. squash — to crush
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wind — moving air
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. craft — boats
  12. swing — to play on
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. swing — music
  16. wind — moving air
  17. craft — a skill
  18. leaves — lets stay

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