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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. kick — in football
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. tube — a container
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. last — final
  8. tube — the underground
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. last — to go on
  12. squash — to crush
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. sharp — clever
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. last — finally
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. sharp — with an edge

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