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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. object — a thing
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. swing — music
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. object — an aim
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. capital — money
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. swing — to play on
  14. object — to protest
  15. track — a path
  16. squash — to crush
  17. craft — boats
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. craft — a skill
  20. capital — a city
  21. track — a song
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. swing — in golf
  24. track — to keep track

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