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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 116 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. staff — employees
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. can — a tin
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. squash — the sport
  7. race — the arms race
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. staff — a stick
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. band — a ring
  13. staff — employees
  14. race — a contest
  15. fork — in a road
  16. squash — to crush
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. can — to be able to
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. race — humankind
  23. band — a music group
  24. nail — for a hammer

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