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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 116 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. squash — the sport
  5. rock — music
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wind — moving air
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pit — a hole
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. kid — child
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — a thing
  24. kid — to tease

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