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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. suit — clothes
  4. squash — to crush
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. suit — in cards
  8. object — a thing
  9. row — a line
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. game — a match
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. object — to protest
  15. hand — help
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. squash — the sport
  19. row — to paddle
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. object — an aim

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