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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. land — to come down
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. squash — to crush
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. squash — the sport
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. land — ground
  13. firm — decided
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. firm — a company
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. dip — to sink
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. land — a country

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