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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. squash — to crush
  8. kid — child
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. squash — the sport
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mine — for digging
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. kid — to tease
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. board — to get on
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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