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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 124 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. toast — bread
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. squash — the sport
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. ground — crushed
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. squash — to crush
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. cell — in biology
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — a phone
  24. club — for dancing

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