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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. hand — help
  4. staff — employees
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. staff — a stick
  7. clip — a video
  8. fine — all right
  9. clip — for paper
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. staff — employees
  20. fork — in a road
  21. squash — to crush
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. clip — to cut
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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