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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. prune — to trim
  7. board — a committee
  8. bat — the animal
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. prune — to trim
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. squash — to crush
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. board — to get on

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