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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. firm — decided
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bore — to drill
  6. firm — steady
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bore — to tire
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. firm — a company
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pitch — completely
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. kid — child
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. kid — to tease
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cabinet — ministers

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