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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mug — a face
  6. date — the fruit
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. mug — to rob
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mug — a cup
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. firm — decided
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. firm — a company
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. file — a document
  21. squash — the sport
  22. last — finally
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. squash — to crush

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