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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 ball is in your ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. court — for sport
  3. suit — in cards
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. rush — hurry
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. face — to point toward
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. scale — in music
  11. squash — to crush
  12. ball — a dance
  13. scale — size or range
  14. suit — to fit
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — part of the head
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — of law
  23. suit — clothes
  24. nail — on a finger

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