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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chair — a leader
  5. swing — music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. squash — to crush
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. lie — to recline
  11. key — in music
  12. saw — the tool
  13. key — for a lock
  14. club — a group
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. key — the most important part
  20. saw — the tool
  21. club — for dancing
  22. swing — to play on
  23. club — for golf
  24. swing — in golf

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