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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. mate — to breed
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. squash — to crush
  6. board — a committee
  7. mate — a partner
  8. squash — the sport
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rest — what's left
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. board — to get on
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. mate — a friend
  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