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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 120 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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. staff — employees
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. staff — a stick
  9. stand — to bear
  10. staff — employees
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bat — the animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. snap — to click
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. deal — to handle
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bat — for baseball

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