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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. mark — a grade
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. court — of a king
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. shower — to wash
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. chip — for betting
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. chip — to eat
  14. lean — to bend
  15. court — of law
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. shower — rain
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a trace
  23. court — for sport
  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