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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. field — for sport
  3. swing — in golf
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. spell — letters
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. object — to protest
  9. present — the time now
  10. field — a subject
  11. spell — a short time
  12. swing — music
  13. spell — magic
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. object — a thing
  16. field — farmland
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. squash — the sport
  19. present — there
  20. swing — to play on
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. present — a gift
  23. bark — to shout
  24. squash — to crush

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