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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rash — a series
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. rash — hasty
  8. squash — the sport
  9. suit — to fit
  10. squash — to crush
  11. season — of the year
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pound — a weight
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. suit — in cards
  16. row — to paddle
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. row — a line
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. suit — clothes
  24. calf — of the leg

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