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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. present — there
  5. squash — the sport
  6. fork — in a road
  7. scale — size or range
  8. deal — to handle
  9. chair — a leader
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. present — the time now
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. present — a gift
  19. scale — in music
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. racket — for tennis

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