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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pit — a hole
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. key — the most important part
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. key — for a lock
  13. pit — in a race
  14. squash — the sport
  15. key — in music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. sharp — clever
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lean — thin
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rock — music
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lean — to bend

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