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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. capital — money
  3. suit — in cards
  4. face — to confront
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. squash — the sport
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. face — part of the head
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. face — to point toward
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — a weight
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. capital — a city
  21. suit — to fit
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. suit — clothes
  24. racket — for tennis

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