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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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. foot — a measure
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. roll — a cake
  5. stand — to bear
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. roll — a list
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. dip — to sink
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. chip — to eat
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. squash — the sport
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. chip — for betting
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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