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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 116 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ground — a position
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. ground — crushed
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mug — a face
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bear — the animal
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. band — a ring
  13. mug — a cup
  14. squash — to crush
  15. band — a music group
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ground — the earth
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bear — the animal
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. squash — the vegetable

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