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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — final
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cue — a hint
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. cue — for pool
  10. stand — to bear
  11. swing — music
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. cue — a signal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — in golf
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. last — finally

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