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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. squash — the vegetable
  2. cold — not warm
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. cold — an illness
  7. season — in sport
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. mug — to rob
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. mug — a face
  14. squash — the sport
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — a group
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. mug — a cup
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. pitch — completely
  23. season — of the year
  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