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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. season — in sport
  3. court — of law
  4. season — of the year
  5. mate — a partner
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. lean — thin
  10. object — an aim
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — there
  13. object — to protest
  14. present — a gift
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mate — a friend
  17. snap — to click
  18. lean — to bend
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mate — to breed
  23. court — for sport
  24. object — a thing

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