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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. squash — to crush
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. squash — the sport
  5. field — a subject
  6. hand — in cards
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rule — government
  9. dip — to sink
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. staff — employees
  12. hand — help
  13. staff — a stick
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. staff — employees
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — a law
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — for sport
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. craft — boats

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