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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. game — a match
  3. squash — the sport
  4. staff — employees
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. net — for catching
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. net — in sport
  10. shower — rain
  11. face — to confront
  12. squash — to crush
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. face — part of the head
  15. club — for dancing
  16. game — wild animals
  17. club — for golf
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. net — after costs
  20. shower — to wash
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. club — a group
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. face — to point toward

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