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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 124 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pound — a weight
  7. squash — the sport
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pitch — completely
  12. spring — the season
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. wound — an injury
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. craft — boats
  21. spring — of water
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. craft — a skill

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