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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. swing — to play on
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. craft — boats
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. pit — in a race
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. swing — music
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. craft — a skill
  20. squash — the sport
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. swing — in golf

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