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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. spring — a coil
  7. mark — a grade
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. squash — to crush
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. spring — of water
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. spring — the season
  18. pound — a weight
  19. mark — a trace
  20. perch — the fish
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. toast — bread
  24. wind — moving air

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