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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mug — a face
  7. object — to protest
  8. squash — to crush
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bound — obliged
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. object — a thing
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mug — a cup
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bound — certain
  20. squash — the sport
  21. mug — to rob
  22. object — an aim
  23. bound — tied together
  24. nail — for a hammer

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