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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. club — for dancing
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. club — a group
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — child
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. net — after costs
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. cap — of ice
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. club — for golf
  22. pop — soda
  23. cap — a hat
  24. rest — what's left

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