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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 116 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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. row — to paddle
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. squash — the sport
  7. present — a gift
  8. ball — a great time
  9. suit — to fit
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. drill — the tool
  13. row — a line
  14. ball — a dance
  15. drill — army training
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. squash — to crush
  18. drill — a practice
  19. suit — clothes
  20. present — there
  21. game — a match
  22. spell — magic
  23. present — the time now
  24. suit — in cards

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