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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — the sport
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. spell — a short time
  8. squash — to crush
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. season — of the year
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. spell — letters
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. can — a tin
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. spell — magic
  17. season — in sport
  18. snap — to click
  19. ball — a great time
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. can — a tin
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pass — a permit

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