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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. face — to confront
  3. capital — a city
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. key — in music
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. key — the most important part
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. capital — money
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fork — in a road
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. squash — to crush
  18. face — part of the head
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. key — for a lock
  23. face — to point toward
  24. capital — a big letter

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