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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. mark — a trace
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. spring — of water
  12. stand — to bear
  13. shower — rain
  14. squash — the sport
  15. shower — to wash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. spring — the season
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. squash — to crush
  24. spring — a coil

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