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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. key — the most important part
  3. object — an aim
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. key — for a lock
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. object — a thing
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. key — in music
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. squash — the sport
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. object — to protest
  22. branch — a division
  23. land — to come down
  24. safe — a strongbox

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