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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bat — the animal
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. branch — a division
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — a match
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. ball — a great time
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bulb — for light
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. squash — the sport

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