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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 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. lean — to bend
  3. squash — the sport
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. march — the month
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. march — the month
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. shower — rain
  11. march — music
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pitch — completely
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. lean — thin
  17. shower — to wash
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. squash — to crush

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