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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. club — for dancing
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. club — for golf
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. club — a group
  10. pass — a permit
  11. game — wild animals
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. rock — a stone
  17. squash — the sport
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rock — music
  22. squash — to crush
  23. game — a match
  24. pass — to spend time

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