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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. object — an aim
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. object — a thing
  9. club — a group
  10. squash — to crush
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. object — to protest
  16. club — for dancing
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wound — an injury
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. club — for golf
  22. wound — an injury
  23. field — for sport
  24. squash — the sport

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