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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. net — after costs
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. net — in sport
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. fall — the season
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. track — a song
  11. craft — a skill
  12. fall — to drop
  13. craft — boats
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. capital — money
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. squash — the sport
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. capital — a city
  22. net — for catching
  23. fall — to drop
  24. safe — out of danger

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