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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. object — a thing
  3. suit — in cards
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mug — a cup
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pop — to visit
  8. object — to protest
  9. pop — soda
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. mug — to rob
  16. wound — an injury
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pop — music
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. object — an aim
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. squash — to crush
  23. wound — an injury
  24. squash — the vegetable

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