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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — a thing
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. race — the arms race
  8. object — to protest
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bark — to shout
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. scale — size or range
  16. can — a tin
  17. fork — in a road
  18. squash — the sport
  19. race — humankind
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. can — to be able to
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. can — a tin
  24. race — a contest

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