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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 116 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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rash — hasty
  6. object — a thing
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. file — a tool
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. deal — to handle
  12. file — a document
  13. pound — a weight
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. object — an aim
  16. rash — a series
  17. court — for sport
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. object — to protest
  21. squash — the sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. court — of law

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