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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. fine — high quality
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. fine — all right
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rush — hurry
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pitch — completely
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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