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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. squash — the sport
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. swing — music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mark — a grade
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. dip — to sink
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. key — in music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — to play on
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mark — a trace
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. key — the most important part

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