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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. firm — decided
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. charge — in control
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. perch — the fish
  12. firm — steady
  13. rash — a series
  14. charge — a price
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. squash — to crush
  21. firm — a company
  22. charge — electricity
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. ruler — for measuring

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