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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wake — a trail
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. swing — to play on
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. squash — the sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. stock — shares
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. swing — music
  16. season — in sport
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bore — to drill
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. swing — in golf
  21. stock — goods
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. fan — a supporter
  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