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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bass — the fish
  4. wound — an injury
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. staff — employees
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. chest — of your body
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bass — low music
  18. wound — an injury
  19. season — in sport
  20. chest — of your body
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. staff — a stick
  23. season — of the year
  24. staff — employees

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