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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. face — to confront
  3. squash — the sport
  4. club — for golf
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stock — goods
  7. field — for sport
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. stock — shares
  14. face — part of the head
  15. club — a group
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. face — to point toward
  18. field — farmland
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. field — a subject
  21. last — final
  22. club — for dancing
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. mouse — the animal

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