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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. pop — to visit
  3. wake — a trail
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. staff — employees
  6. present — a gift
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pop — music
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pop — soda
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. present — the time now
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. present — there
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. foot — a measure
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. staff — employees

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