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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — the sport
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. dip — to sink
  14. root — of a word
  15. tube — a container
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. root — the cause
  20. squash — to crush
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. root — of a plant
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. tube — the underground

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