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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. season — of the year
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. chair — a leader
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bore — to tire
  19. season — in sport
  20. bore — to drill
  21. squash — to crush
  22. wake — a trail
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. deal — to handle

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