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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. firm — decided
  3. file — a document
  4. squash — the sport
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. file — a tool
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mug — to rob
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. firm — a company
  12. squash — to crush
  13. firm — steady
  14. root — the cause
  15. stand — to bear
  16. file — a line of people
  17. mine — for digging
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mug — a cup
  20. root — of a word
  21. mug — a face
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. racket — for tennis

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