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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. pit — in a race
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. kid — to tease
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. mine — for digging
  24. kid — child

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