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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 120 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stock — shares
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. stock — goods
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. row — to paddle
  11. track — a song
  12. rest — what's left
  13. row — a line
  14. track — a path
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. kid — to tease
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. kid — child
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. track — to keep track
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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