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

Word bank: rest · mine · staff · craft · racket · squash · pit · cap

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rest — a break
  4. mine — for digging
  5. rest — what's left
  6. squash — the sport
  7. cap — a hat
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pit — a hole
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pit — in a race
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. cap — a lid
  21. staff — employees
  22. rest — what's left
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. cap — of ice

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