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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. fork — in a road
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pitch — completely
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. scale — in music
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. roll — a list
  22. staff — employees
  23. roll — a cake
  24. kick — in football

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