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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. net — in sport
  4. squash — the sport
  5. present — there
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. present — a gift
  9. net — after costs
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bass — the fish
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. net — for catching
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bass — low music
  17. lie — to recline
  18. ground — the earth
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. key — in music
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. present — the time now
  24. key — for a lock

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