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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — magic
  4. swing — to play on
  5. net — after costs
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. track — a song
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. net — for catching
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. track — to keep track
  15. squash — to crush
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. spell — letters
  18. net — in sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. swing — in golf
  21. track — a path
  22. swing — music
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. patient — a sick person

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