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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. squash — to crush
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. squash — the sport
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bark — to shout
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. stand — for spectators

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