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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — final
  4. scale — size or range
  5. plane — a tool
  6. deal — to handle
  7. scale — in music
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. net — after costs
  14. last — finally
  15. squash — the sport
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. scale — for weighing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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