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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. race — humankind
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. capital — money
  13. race — a contest
  14. spring — a coil
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. staff — employees
  17. race — the arms race
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — a city
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cue — a hint
  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