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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 120 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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. chest — a box
  3. stand — to bear
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. suit — to fit
  6. swing — in golf
  7. chest — of your body
  8. squash — to crush
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. swing — music
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. squash — the sport
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. swing — to play on
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. fork — in a road
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — in cards

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