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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. object — an aim
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. squash — to crush
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. object — a thing
  8. court — of law
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of a king
  13. scale — size or range
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. season — of the year
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. season — in sport
  18. scale — in music
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. object — to protest
  21. club — for golf
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. squash — the sport

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