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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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. squash — the vegetable
  2. fine — all right
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. squash — the sport
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. wind — moving air
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. fine — high quality
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. craft — a skill
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wind — moving air
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — boats
  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