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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. fine — high quality
  9. roll — a list
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. prune — to trim
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. prune — to trim
  14. squash — to crush
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a cake
  18. deal — to handle
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fine — all right
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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