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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bore — to drill
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. present — there
  13. rush — hurry
  14. present — a gift
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bound — certain
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. row — to paddle
  19. present — the time now
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bore — to tire
  24. row — a line

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