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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 120 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — to crush
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. object — a thing
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. net — in sport
  10. squash — the sport
  11. pop — music
  12. craft — a skill
  13. pop — soda
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. craft — boats
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. pop — to visit
  20. object — an aim
  21. foot — a measure
  22. chair — a leader
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. craft — a handicraft

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