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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mate — a partner
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. squash — the sport
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. squash — to crush
  11. scale — size or range
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. scale — in music
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bank — for money
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bank — for money
  19. stock — shares
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. stock — goods
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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