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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chest — of your body
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. pitch — completely
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. chest — a box
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bark — to shout
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. fan — to cool the air

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