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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. squash — the sport
  3. firm — steady
  4. scale — in music
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fine — high quality
  11. track — a path
  12. firm — decided
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. hand — in cards
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. track — a song
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. fine — all right
  22. hand — help
  23. squash — to crush
  24. scale — size or range

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