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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. suit — to fit
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. field — a subject
  5. mug — a cup
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. suit — in cards
  11. squash — the sport
  12. mug — to rob
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. field — farmland
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. squash — to crush
  19. rule — a law
  20. field — for sport
  21. rule — government
  22. mug — a face
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. suit — clothes

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