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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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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: lie · squash · spell · cell · deal · pitch · jam · racket

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. squash — to crush
  3. cell — in biology
  4. spell — letters
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. squash — the sport
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. deal — to handle
  14. spell — a short time
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. lie — to recline
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pitch — completely
  21. cell — a phone
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. spell — magic
  24. deal — a big deal

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