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

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. mine — for digging
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitch — completely
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mate — to breed
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. pound — a weight
  23. rush — hurry
  24. squash — the sport

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