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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 120 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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. foot — a measure
  6. land — a country
  7. field — for sport
  8. season — in sport
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. field — a subject
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bound — tied together
  14. field — farmland
  15. rock — a stone
  16. land — to come down
  17. bound — certain
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. land — ground
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rock — music
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. season — of the year

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