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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. key — the most important part
  6. squash — the sport
  7. key — in music
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mate — a partner
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. rule — government
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. rule — a law
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pound — a weight
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pound — to hit hard

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