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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. suit — in cards
  5. craft — a skill
  6. wind — moving air
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. foot — a measure
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. band — a music group
  15. craft — boats
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. band — a ring
  18. suit — clothes
  19. wind — moving air
  20. suit — to fit
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. squash — to crush
  24. patient — a sick person

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