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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · board · pop · season · squash · fall · racket · tear

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pop — music
  3. season — in sport
  4. tear — from crying
  5. squash — the sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pop — to visit
  8. tear — to rip
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pop — soda
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. season — of the year
  14. fall — the season
  15. net — in sport
  16. fall — to drop
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. fall — to drop
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. board — a committee
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. board — to get on
  24. tear — from crying

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