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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · racket · date · squash · rock · toast · club · rest

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. date — the fruit
  3. rock — music
  4. field — a subject
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rest — what's left
  8. field — farmland
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. club — a group
  12. rest — a break
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. rest — what's left
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — for dancing
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — the sport
  21. field — for sport
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. toast — bread
  24. racket — a loud noise

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