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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: racket · mate · object · cell · deal · fine · pass · squash

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. object — to protest
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the sport
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. mate — to breed
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mate — a friend
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. object — a thing
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. cell — in biology
  21. mate — a partner
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. fine — high quality

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