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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. net — for catching
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. perch — the fish
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — a gift
  8. mark — a trace
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — humankind
  16. mark — a grade
  17. dip — to sink
  18. race — a contest
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. squash — to crush
  21. present — there
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. squash — the sport

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