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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 124 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. squash — to crush
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. firm — decided
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. firm — steady
  12. rush — hurry
  13. hand — in cards
  14. content — the amount
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. hand — help
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. firm — a company
  21. lie — to recline
  22. content — happy
  23. racket — for tennis
  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