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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. mug — to rob
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — to crush
  5. march — the month
  6. row — a line
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. root — the cause
  9. mug — a cup
  10. row — to paddle
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. race — a contest
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. race — humankind
  19. march — the month
  20. mug — a face
  21. march — music
  22. race — the arms race
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — of a plant

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